View Slides from the Summit Here
Western Dakota Tech hosted an Economic Impact Summit on Wednesday, Aug. 15, in the Western Dakota Tech Event Center.
The event highlighted the college's economic impact on the western South Dakota region and featured presentations from a variety of industry and campus partners, including the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Black Hills Knowledge Network, and the Rapid City Economic Development Partnership.
Presentations were made by:
- Marcia Hultman, Secretary, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation
- Dr. Ann Bolman, President, Western Dakota Tech
- Chandra Calvert, Associate Dean of Advancement, Western Dakota Tech
- Terri Haverly, Executive Director, Ascent Innovation
- Tiffany Howe, Vice President for Teaching and Learning, Western Dakota Tech
- Dr. Jared McEntaffer, Regional Economist,
Black Hills Knowledge Network - Mark McGrath, Reporting & Analysis Director, Western Dakota Tech
- Stephenie Rittberger, Adult Education Coordinator, Career Learning Center of the Black Hills
- Ben Snow, President, Rapid City Economic Development Partnership
Attendees learned about the job outlook in South Dakota, workforce development initiatives in the region, and the direct impact Western Dakota Tech has on graduate earnings.
Impressive data was shared, including:
- Just one year out of college, Western Dakota Tech graduates are earning 10% above the Western South Dakota average earnings and Western Dakota Tech A.A.S. degree holders are earning more than $12,000 above high school only graduates in South Dakota.
- On average, a Western Dakota Tech A.A.S. graduate can expect to see a 226% return on their investment within five years of graduation. A diploma graduate can expect to see a149% return within five years. An investment in the S&P 500 can expect to see a 108% return in the same time frame.
- From 2008-2017, Western Dakota Tech graduates earned more than a quarter billion dollars than they would have likely earned had they not continued their education beyond high school.
View Slides from the Summit Here
