EP 229: Return Utah-the 1st State Career Reentry Program, w/ Program Manager & Relauncher Shay Baker

Shay Baker is Program Manager of Return Utah, Utah’s career reentry program. Utah is the first state to launch a career reentry program. Shay was a participant in the inaugural cohort of Return Utah that launched in fall 2021, and was subsequently hired to run the program. The second cohort launched in January with almost three times as many participants as the first. Shay is a relauncher herself, leaving her career as a reporter and producer for KTVX, the Salt Lake City ABC affiliate TV station, for what turned out to be an eight year career break. In this episode, Shay shares the unique and varied scope of the Return Utah program, her mandate to grow the program, and her future vision for it.