Mission - Expand and enhance education and career training programs that can be completed in two years or less and prepare students for employment in high-wage, high-skill occupations.
Vision - Help students succeed in acquiring the skills, degrees, and credentials needed for high-wage, high-skill employment while also meeting the needs of employers for skilled workers.
In an increasingly competitive world economy, America's economic strength depends upon the education and skills of its workers. In the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate's degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college experience. The nation needs workers with the education and skills to succeed in growing, high-wage occupations. Community colleges serve as significant and rapidly growing contributors to the nations' higher education system, enrolling more than 11.8 million students. Community colleges work with business, labor, and government in their communities to create tailored education and training programs to meet employers' needs and give students the skills required to obtain good jobs, earn family-sustaining wages, and advance along a career pathway. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAA CCCT) grant provides funds to eligible institutes in each state to expand and improve their ability to deliver education that can be completed in two years or less. |
Across our vast and largely rural state, jobs in manufacturing and other vulnerable sectors are being threatened by the impacts of foreign trade. To counteract this threat, the four technical institutes of South Dakota have formed a consortium in close partnership with the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, the South Dakota Department of Education, and key members of industry. Our proposal provides paths for at-risk workers in South Dakota to enter into high-demand, high-skill occupations in Green Energy Production. TAA funds afford each technical institute the opportunity to develop online/hybrid programs of study and registered apprenticeships.