A pilot program for female inmates to earn a precision machining certificate starts this spring semester at the South Dakota Women’s Prison in Pierre.
Successful participants of this one-semester program will have the opportunity to continue their education to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Precision Machining– one of the state’s top occupations facing workforce shortages.
Interim Corrections Department Secretary Doug Clark says the agency has been searching for a meaningful work training program for female inmates for years. He says everything aligned between Corrections, the Department of Labor and Regulation and Lake Area Technical College in Watertown to offer the program to interested inmates.
More than 300 jobs are projected to be open in the precision machining field in the next year in South Dakota. The Department of Corrections identified 10 inmates with the aptitude and interest in the program who have a high school diploma or GED® credential, are minimum or low-medium custody, and are within six months of their prison release date.
Lake Area Technical College Vice-President Diane Stiles says to provide the student with quality instruction and the best chance of success, the precision machining training will be taught in-person at the Women’s Prison. She says Lake Area is committed to changing lives and launching careers for this population while also meeting the critical workforce demands in South Dakota.
Students will learn manual mills and lathes and Computer Numerical Control machining. Instruction will take place in the Women’s Center for Opportunities building adjacent to the Pierre Community Work Center.
Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman says this program provides an opportunity for these women to learn a viable skill in a high-demand field, setting them up for success upon release from prison and beyond. She says DLR will support these women in completing their studies, gaining valuable work experience and successfully integrating into precision machining jobs upon their release.
SD UpSkill, a partnership between the Board of Technical Education and DLR, provided funding for this unique program. State lawmakers approved funding to purchase the Women’s Center for Opportunities building during the 2021 legislative session.
Comments