Governor Dennis Daugaard has announced the creation of a new scholarship aimed at growing the state's work force. South Dakota has the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation, but Daugaard says that’s a double-edged sword because the pool of workers is already small. He says businesses can’t expand because skilled labor is lacking.
The Build Dakota scholarship will pay for full tuition at the state’s four tech schools for high demand occupations. South Dakota Philanthropist T. Denny Sanford is contributing $25 million to the scholarship and the state is matching the donation with each putting in $5 million a year for five years. Daugaard says it should pay tuition for 300 students a year. Students are required to stay in South Dakota for three years after completing their degree.
Southeast Tech President Jeff Holcomb and Tiffany Sanderson, director of the South Dakota Department of Education’s division of Career and Technical Education, joined Dakota Midday and discussed the scholarship program.
