This is Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (Sept. 22-28) in South Dakota– a time to emphasize the importance of reading, writing and math in society.
State Department of Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman says her agency has established partnerships to offer Adult Education and Literacy services at 16 locations across the state– including at The Right Turn in Pierre. She says there’s also a distance learning option for those in rural areas or for those who need a flexible schedule.
Hultman says providers offer classes including workforce preparation activities, high school equivalency test preparation, integrated education and training, English language acquisition and civics education. She says classes are customized to meet the needs and interests of adult learners. In the 2018 program year, 393 participants earned their GED® and nearly 1,000 individuals earned a measurable skill gain.
Hultman says 60,000 adults in the state don’t have a high school diploma or equivalency. She says with an unemployment rate of 2.9%, South Dakota not only lacks an available workforce, but also lacks a workforce with the skills needed to do the jobs that are available.
Hultman says an educated workforce is essential to expanding the economic growth of South Dakota. She says a basic education is the foundation for successful and meaningful employment.
For more information regarding the Adult Education and Literacy programs, visit www.sdjobs.org.
