Cultivating Career Pathways for Advanced Manufacturing Technicians

The South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation recently reported nearly 3,000 manufacturing job openings and the industry is projected to add 3,500 jobs by 2030. This report and other indicators highlight the significant need for skilled technicians to fill the state’s high-demand, high-wage Advanced Manufacturing jobs. Lake Area Technical College’s three-year effort will encourage learning and career pathways at an earlier age, provide regional manufacturers with an expanded and diversified talent pipeline, and strengthen relationships between education and industry. The project was developed with the support of secondary education, workforce development, and industry partners who share LATC’s vision for expanded employability and earning potential for workers and a growing state economy. The overall goal of the project is to recruit larger classes of college-ready students into the college’s Advanced Manufacturing programs and increase the number of technicians entering the workforce. The project will provide the opportunity for middle and high school students to explore careers and technical education options not often emphasized in South Dakota’s secondary schools. Teachers, administrators and other influencers will also learn the importance of these careers and find resources for improving secondary technical education programs and supporting students in their career and education decisions. Over the course of the three-year project, STEM-related recruiting events will reach 1,050 students. In addition, 30 secondary educators will join LATC’s STEM learning community and 60 incumbent workers will receive additional technical training through the college. This project will help break the manufacturing industry stigma in the region; introduce students, parents, educators and incumbent workers to new career opportunities; and share examples of how individuals with a variety of STEM-related aptitudes can succeed in today’s manufacturing industry. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.