Four South Dakota organizations will receive $35,000 each to develop apprenticeship programs for high school students. The programs are intendedto generate skilled workers in high-demand areas.
The Harrisburg School District and Bear Butte Gardens will house agriculture apprenticeships.
Bear Butte Gardens, a Sturgis farm, already works with the DOL to provide training in organic farm management and commercial kitchen management. The new funding will go towards an entry level farm worker position open for student apprentices.
The Harrisburg School District will use the funding to develop new initiatives in their existing Career and Technical Education program.
The Belle Fourche School District and Dakota State University will house programs in healthcare and education, respectively.
The contracts are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. Marcia Hultman is secretary of the state Department of Labor and Regulation, which administers the program.
“High school apprenticeships provide the foundation for students to choose among multiple pathways after graduation – to enroll in college, to enter an apprenticeship program, begin full-time employment or a combination,” she said.
The recipients will work with the state labor agency to develop their programs, then submit plans to the federal Department of Labor for approval.