PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) – Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced Thursday he is awarding over $860,000 in Future Funds to fund equipment needs in Build Dakota-eligible programs at South Dakota’s four technical institutes.
“These Future Fund grants will help ensure that students at our state’s technical institutes are being trained on the most up-to-date equipment – the kind of equipment they will be expected to use once they enter the workforce,” Gov. Daugaard said.
The grants will go toward Build Dakota-eligible programs where student enrollments exceed equipment capacity for the 2017-18 school year. Programs receiving the equipment fund grants include diesel technology, precision machining, building trades, welding and manufacturing technology, licensed practical nursing and surgical technology.
Mitchell Technical Institute, $400,000.00, Lake Area Technical Institute. $226,635.00, Southeast Technical Institute, $169,900.00 and Western Dakota Technical Institute $68,000.00.
The Build Dakota Scholarship program aims to support students entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota’s technical institutes to fill the state’s technical career fields with skilled professionals. The program was announced in late 2014. The scholarship is funded by a $25 million donation from T. Denny Sanford and $25 million in future funds committed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.