White House Highlights LATI President
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2011
White House Highlights President Deb Shephard and Lake Area Technical College as “Champions of Change”
In an increasingly competitive global economy, America’s economic strength depends upon the education and skills of its workers. In the coming years, nearly 8 in 10 new jobs will require higher education and workforce training. To meet this need, President Obama set a goal for America: to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
America’s community colleges are essential to reaching that goal, and the President is working to support community colleges in graduating an additional 5 million students by the end of this decade.
Each week the White House highlights ‘Champions of Change’ who are making an impact in their communities and helping America rise to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Today, the White House invited Deb Shephard, President of Lake Area Technical College in South Dakota, to participate in a roundtable discussion on the positive impact of many community colleges across the nation. To watch this roundtable live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 2pm EDT today.
Lake Area Technical College is a post-secondary technical college with over 1600 students enrolled in 27 different programs. Deb and Lake Area Technical College are being recognized by the White House for their high graduation rates and high rates of job placement. LATI credits its success to the use of individual graduation plans, an engaged staff, and close partnerships with businesses and industry.
Lake Area Technical College was recently selected as a finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, a $1 million annual prize to recognize, reward, and inspire outstanding outcomes in community colleges nationwide.
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