News

Eligible Dislocated Workers Can Take Specific Programs at Little to No Cost

Western Dakota Technical College is proud to participate in SD UpSkill, a state program to support workers dislocated by COVID-19 .

The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is now accepting applications from dislocated workers to enroll in occupational skills training available through the UpSkill program at little to no cost at Western Dakota Tech (WDT) in Rapid City, and Lake Area Tech in Watertown, for Spring Semester 2021.

WDT certificate programs offered as part of the program are EMT/Pre-Paramedic and Phlebotomy. Both are 18-credit online programs.

WDT Coordination Effort Results in 50,000 Masks Already Produced

When the few remaining face mask-making kits Western Dakota Tech (WDT) has left are sewn and the masks are distributed, the college’s coordinated portion of the Masks for Rapid City project will have resulted in 50,000 masks for our community! The Masks for Rapid City project will now focus on masks for area students which will now be led by Rapid City Area Schools.

PHOTO CUTLINE: Bob Quinn, former owner of Quinn Construction, Inc., and current owner of American West Corp., left, is shown with Bret Clark, WDT Construction Technology Program Director/Instructor, right, and the pickup he donated to the WDT Construction Technology program.

In fall 2019, Bret Clark, Western Dakota Tech (WDT) Construction Technology Program Director/Instructor, reached out to the Construction Industry Center (CIC) seeking a donation of a good used pickup to use in his Construction Technology program for the purpose of hauling materials and equipment to job sites where students apply their practical learning. CIC in turn reached out to the industry. 

Three Angus cattle arrived at their new home on Western Dakota Tech’s (WDT) campus on Friday, Oct. 2! The cattle will provide hands-on learning opportunities for students in the college’s Farm and Ranch Management program. 

WDT is now one of only about 35 colleges in the U.S. to have cattle on campus for learning purposes. The only other program in S.D. with cattle is South Dakota State University in Brookings.