Lake Area Tech Offers UpSkill Certifications for Dislocated Workers

For Immediate Release

July 24, 2020

WATERTOWN, SD – In an effort to encourage South Dakota dislocated workers to pursue a high-demand, post-secondary skill, the state’s four technical colleges now offer online-only certifications that will be of little or no cost to the student.

The concerted effort, called UpSkill, is the result of a $2.2 million request by the South Dakota Board of Technical Education for CARES Act funds. CARES Act fund dollars were earmarked by Governor Noem as education-stabilization funds to support initiatives related to COVID-19 workforce impacts. The request is in collaboration with the state’s technical colleges and the Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR). The new UpSkill program targets South Dakota workers who have filed for re-employment assistance through the DLR and are considered “dislocated.”

At Lake Area Tech, certifications are offered this fall in Accounting, Agriculture, Banking, Community Healthcare Worker, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Marketing, Medical Coding, Networking & Cybersecurity, and Programming. Certifications are between 16 and 18 credits and will take two semesters to complete.

To enroll in one of the UpSkill certification programs at Lake Area Tech, participants will first apply for admission online at www.lakeareatech.edu. Once determined eligible, the participant’s information will be forwarded to the DLR and he or she will be assigned a Case Manager, who will provide student support for the remainder of the course of study.

For more information, visit www.lakeareatech.edu and click on the UpSkill button.