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Posts for December 2014

State Partners With Denny Sanford To Establish Tech School Scholarships

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard today (December 17, 2014) announced that the state of South Dakota will partner with South Dakota businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford to establish a full scholarship program for students entering high-need workforce programs at in-state technical institutes.

"The establishment of this scholarship will mean that each year hundreds of our young people will have the opportunity to enter high-demand fields without incurring debt," Gov. Daugaard said. "The impact of this will be huge, not only for the students who receive the scholarship but for our entire state which has been faced with workforce challenges."

T. Denny Sanford, owner of First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, is a well-known philanthropist and South Dakota business owner. Denny purchased United National Corporation, the parent company for the PREMIER organizations in 1986. Since that time, he has created more than 2,300 jobs within the state of South Dakota. To date, Sanford has donated over $1 billion dollars to organizations across the nation.

"I am extremely grateful for Denny's generous contribution and can't thank him enough for the investment he's willing to make in our young people," said Gov. Daugaard. "Denny, who has already contributed so much to South Dakota by creating thousands of jobs and giving so much of his own money to a number of organizations, is once again stepping up to making our state a better place."

The Governor has committed to match Sanford's donation of $25 million with Future Funds for the Build Dakota Scholarship Program. The $50 million is expected to provide 300 scholarships annually in each of the first five years. From 2020 on, an endowment will continue to award approximately 50 scholarships per year.

Those who are awarded with the scholarship will be required to stay in South Dakota to work in their field of study for three years. A board appointed by the Governor will be established to determine specific requirements and how the scholarship will be administered.

"Business leaders across South Dakota have told me that workforce is the single largest obstacle to our continued economic growth," said state Economic Development Commissioner Pat Costello. "Some businesses have been unable to expand because of the lack of workers. Others have turned down business. This new scholarship will go a long way in addressing that problem."

Information on the Build Dakota Scholarship program can be found at doe.sd.gov/builddakota.

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WDT seeking comments for accreditation visit

Western Dakota Tech is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a commission of the North Central Association. First accredited in 1983, WDT's accreditation was reaffirmed in 2008. The next reaffirmation of accreditation visit is April 20 to April 22, 2015. A team of peer reviewers from colleges around the country will assemble on the WDT campus during that time. Before their visit to campus, the public is invited to provide confidential comments to the peer reviewers.

As part of the reaffirmation of accreditation, WDT must provide assurances and evidence of meeting five criteria:

  • Criterion 1: The institution's mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution's operations.

  • Criterion 2: The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.

  • Criterion 3: The institution provides high quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.

  • Criterion 4: The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments, and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.

  • Criterion 5: The institution's resources, structures, and processes are sufficient to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational offerings, and respond to future challenges and opportunities. The institution plans for the future.


Comments and feedback are welcomed because they add value to the reaffirmation process. If you would like to comment, please visit the link below to submit your comments to the Higher Learning Commission.

Thank you.

Steve Buchholz
Dean of Accreditation and Advancement
Western Dakota Tech
stephen.buchholz@wdt.edu

 

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Dual Enrollment helps students and South Dakota

The need for skilled workers is great. According to 2011 Skills Gap Report published by the Manufacturing Institute, 67% of respondents to a survey reported a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers, and 56% anticipated the shortage to grow worse in the next three to five years. In addition, the survey indicates that 5% of current jobs at manufacturers are unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. These results underscore the tenacity of a worsening talent shortage that threatens the future effectiveness of the U.S. manufacturing industry.

WDT is addressing that shortage for skilled technical workers in a variety of ways, including offering Dual Enrollment opportunities for high school students so they can prepare more quickly for the growing number of technical careers. Part of WDT's strategy is creating state-of-the-art classrooms and labs where students can learn with technology currently used in industry. WDT is using a portion of the Pathways to College and Career Success grant WDT received through Governor Dennis Daugaard's vision for expanding dual enrollment opportunities to renovate some campus facilities.

WDT's plans that would create better learning environments for students in multiple programs include:

  • Renovation of Collision Repair lab to create labs and classrooms for Electrical Trades, Plumbing, and HVAC/R

  • Renovations to Room ABCD and old bookstore into labs for Surgical Technology and Practical Nursing and conference room for industry partner meetings

  • Installation of windows so visitors can view classroom activity and floor-mounted electrical outlets to better enable students to use technology in classrooms in Wanbli Floor 2

  • Installation of windows so visitors can view classroom activity in Wanbli Floor 1

  • Renovation of clean room in Pharmacy Tech lab to better match facilities to industry

  • Renovation of Corporate Education office into Machining and Engineering Tech lab


These renovations and the broader impacts of WDT's and South Dakota's efforts to grow Dual Enrollment opportunities will help the state begin addressing its workforce problem. These efforts expose high school students to high-quality career and technical education experiences and help them understand what skilled careers are like and why they are the quickest path to better lives.

Collaboration between industry and education, both at the high-school and college level, are key to the success of this program. Those efforts have already begun. WDT has and will continue to invite counselors, principals, school boards, and other to campus so everyone understands the importance of Dual Enrollment courses that lower the cost of college for students and the time it takes to earn a college degree.

All those methods will prepare students to address South Dakota's high-need workforce areas. The Dual Enrollment project will accomplish this by focusing its efforts on coursework that is directly related to high-growth career fields.

WDT has embraced a philosophy of offering programs that prepare students for career fields that are growing and in-demand in South Dakota and beyond. WDT monitors workforce trends before and after programs are started to make sure career opportunities will be available for students when they graduate with diplomas or Associate of Applied Science degrees.

In addition, WDT uses an advisory committee system to involve business and industry representatives in every WDT program. Each program committee meets with faculty and administration at least twice a year to provide feedback on curriculum, equipment, workforce trends, and other critical information that allows WDT's programs to remain current and relevant.

Through campus improvements, collaboration between industry and education, and the continued dedication to student and industry success, WDT's part in the state's efforts to grown Dual Enrollment opportunities plays a large role in meeting the need for skilled workers in South Dakota and beyond.

Learn more about Dual Enrollment opportunities HERE.

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