The Utah Skills Center North became operational in the spring of 1971. It was to be a program that was assembled to serve the needs of low income persons and operated through limited federal funding. The goals of the Skills Center were to: 1.  Develop a vocational program which had appeal and utility for persons who were not receiving salable skills training for jobs. 2. Develop a mechanism which would build upon existing agency and institutional resources in a cooperative manner to avoid duplications, conflicts and to maximize the values of joint efforts. 3. Establish some means for insuring the necessary dollars and resources for an ongoing program. The planning process for the Skill Center was stimulated and initiated after state officials indicated there were funds available for a low income adult vocational program. The Weber County and Ogden City School Superintendents then met with the Weber State College Deans of Continuing Education and School of Technology. The Division of Continuing Education was asked to do the lead planning. Weber State College, as the administrative agency, was responsible for the operation of the Skills Center. The intent of the College was to provide for as much community participation, control, and direction of the Center as could possibly be feasible under the conditions. Skills Center North became a department of the School of Technology at Weber State College. It provided entry level vocational training for disadvantaged persons. It was suggested at a time that Skills Center North and Skills Center South be separated from institutes of higher education and constituted as Area Vocational Centers which eventually became known as Vocational Education and later the College of Applied Science and Technology.