Employers in a 2018 study conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities endorsed broad learning and cross-cutting skills--including oral communication, critical thinking, ethical judgment, working effectively in teams, written communication, and real-world application of skills and knowledge--as the best preparation for long-term career success. Utah needs an educated citizenry that possesses these and other "soft skills" gained through general education courses at colleges and universities in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE). Accordingly, the essential learning outcomes for undergraduate general education at USHE institutions emphasize skills and competencies identified by business and industry leaders, and higher education faculty as those needed to prepare graduates for academic, professional, and societal success. This issue brief addresses general education in Utah, transferability and earlier access, and next steps.