Six students recently graduated from Western Dakota Technical (WDT) College's Professional Truck Driving Program. These graduates will help fill the high and projected increasing need for truck drivers.
The Class A Day and Night/Weekend Truck Driving Program graduates, and their hometowns, are:
- Zachary Austin, Rapid City
- Mylan "Shaun" Clark, Rapid City
- David Douglas, Rapid City
- Byron Head, Kyle
- Jerry Medicine Horn, Lake Andes
The next Class A course starting Aug. 22 is full. Those interested in the program are encouraged to apply now for the course starting Oct. 17 as the program fills quickly and enrollment is limited.
Course info is available at wdt.edu/TruckDriving. To apply or for more information, call the Corporate Education Center at (605) 718-2410, or email corped@wdt.edu.
In a South Dakota Department of Labor May 2021 Top 30 Hot Careers report, the top "Hot Career" listed is "Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers". The list is based on factors including "above-average projected openings" and "an average/mean wage greater than the median wage across all occupations in 2019". The S.D. DOL projects annual openings for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, from 2018-2028, to be 1,100. The average annual wage in 2021 was $47,640.
Western Dakota Technical College's Corporate Education Center offers short-term classes, custom training, events, seminars, career programs, and more to help companies train employees and help students be successful in new and current careers. For more information, visit https://www.wdt.edu/corporate-education-center.
File photo attached.
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About Western Dakota Technical College
Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) was established in 1968 and is the only technical college serving the western South Dakota region.
WDTC offers more than 40 programs in a variety of fields, including Business and Computers, Construction and Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Technologies, Health Sciences, Legal and Public Services, and Transportation Technologies.
Ninety-nine percent of Western Dakota Technical College's most recent graduates are working, continuing their education, or are enlisted in the military. [*Placement information is derived from graduate surveys, faculty-collected data, placement surveys started six months after graduation, and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Overall placement rate is figured by: (responding graduates employed, continuing education, or in military service)/(responding graduates who are seeking employment). The number of program graduates are unduplicated by CIP code.]
Western Dakota Technical College faculty, staff, and administration focus their efforts on helping students gain the skills and experiences they need to succeed. Through hands-on learning, internships, and industry partnerships, Western Dakota Tech students graduate ready to make a real and immediate contribution to their employers and to their communities.
For information about WDTC, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to Admissions@wdt.edu. Visit us on the web at wdt.edu.
