Four organizations are joining forces to create a workforce development program designed to benefit students, businesses and the state.

The four core partners – Dakota State University, Southeast Tech, the Sioux Falls School District and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation – will collaborate with businesses to create a South Dakota Partnership for Student Success, or SDPaSS.

Features of SDPaSS will include:

• Internships at businesses that will be supervised by faculty at Dakota State University, Southeast Tech or the Sioux Falls School District.
• Registered apprenticeship connections and guidance through the Labor Department.
• Academic certificates in cybersecurity, network services and software development.
• Associate degrees in network and security administration, software development and software support.
• Bachelor’s degrees in network and security administration, and cyber operations.

“SDPaSS program apprenticeships and internships will offer opportunities to learn while one earns at a paid placement in the workplace,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said. “Online or traditional classroom-based learning will be reinforced through application in a real job, demonstrating the relevance of the academic materials.”

Some components of SDPaSS will be available for fall 2018; the partners will work together to develop other features.

“Our mission has always been to fulfill the needs of our regional workforce through career-building education,” said Bob Griggs, president of Southeast Tech. Through this new innovative partnership, we are excited to extend opportunities to our industry partners, as well as students who are looking for alternative methods of education and also to adults who are looking for more and better career opportunities where they can earn while they learn.”

In addition to students, businesses will benefit, the partners said.

“We think businesses of all sizes will appreciate SDPaSS because it will enlarge the pool of qualified job applicants, reduce industry training costs for businesses and ultimately provide a stronger employee base,” said Richard Hanson, dean of the Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences at DSU. “This is real workforce training.”