With growing enrollment, Southeast Tech focuses on programs that lead to quality jobs

This paid piece is sponsored by Southeast Technical College.

It’s not hard to find a Southeast Technical College graduate. In Sioux Falls and throughout the region, STC grads can be found writing code, working in operating rooms, managing construction projects, caring for young children, rebuilding a diesel engine and much more.

“Southeast Tech has given me confidence and provided me the ability to have a life I didn’t think would be possible,” said Derek Lucid, a 2019 graduate of the system administration program.

For more than 50 years, Southeast Technical College has educated students for engaging, rewarding careers in some of the most in-demand industries out there. With more than 65 certificate, diploma and associate degree options, students graduate with the relevant knowledge and experience to get to work immediately.

This fall, total enrollment at the two-year technical college is up 3 percent in student head count and 4 percent in enrolled credits, with a total of 2,453 students.

“Our increased enrollment this fall is a testament to the quality of academic programs and support services we have on campus and demonstrates the strong commitment our employees have to Southeast’s workforce mission,” President Bob Griggs said.

“Over the past two to three years, we have added several new programs and implemented new educational pathways for our students.”

From 2020-22, STC added a Mechanical Systems AAS, Risk and Investment Management diploma, Human Resource Management AAS, Allied Health certificate, Community Health Worker certificate, Paramedic Science AAS, Veterinary Technician AAS and Dental Assisting diploma to its already-robust program offerings.

With the addition of the Veterinary Technician and Dental Assisting programs came new lab spaces for each program.

Each lab represents a true-to-life facility a student will work in after graduation and mirrors other labs on campus in nursing, transportation and trades programs.

Click here for a virtual tour of the dental lab.

“I love learning through hands-on projects and time in the lab,” said Megan Winter, a horticulture and sports turf management student. “Southeast Tech is a great option for me, plus offers a lot of faculty-to-student instruction.”

Earlier this year, the college announced plans for its new health care simulation center, paving the way for hundreds of additional students to train for the medical field.

“We are constantly working to improve our academic offerings to simultaneously provide students the education they need for an in-demand, fulfilling career but also to help fill the workforce needs of our region,” Griggs said.

One of the ways STC does this is through its many industry partnerships.

“We have a number of academic advisory boards. There are more than 500 leaders from 300 companies represented on these boards, and they offer us insight that helps shape curriculum and develop programs to ensure our offerings are relevant and reflect the needs of today’s workplaces,” Griggs said.

Additionally, industry partners have invested dollars in STC programs. Smithfield Foods invested $250,000 into the Veterinary Technician expansion; Sanford Health is a key partner in the Paramedic Science program, providing training space at the Stevens Center; and more than 70 companies in the region are matching scholarship dollars through the Build Dakota program.

The Build Dakota Scholarship is a full-ride scholarship that covers 100 percent of a student’s tuition, fees, books, technology and tools in nearly 30 of STC’s most in-demand programs. Similarly, the Early Childhood Workforce Support Scholarship, which is new for 2022-23, is a full-ride scholarship for Early Childhood Specialist students. STC also awards nearly 100 scholarships through the Southeast Technical College Foundation each year.

Students without a scholarship still appreciate Southeast Technical College’s high return on investment. Most students complete their education in about half the time at one-quarter of the price, compared with the traditional four-year route.

Upon enrollment, students are assigned a student success adviser who will be with them throughout their time at Southeast Tech. SSAs are dedicated to each student’s success and can assist with developing academic skills, making connections on campus and linking students to resources such as the Academic Resource Center, Student Activities, Scarbrough Childcare Center and Counseling Services.

“My student success adviser is outstanding. She helps me schedule my classes to fit my work schedule, accommodate for child care and motivates me to keep on track with my courses,” said Eric Kollie, a second-year system administrator student.

Additionally, each student also has a faculty adviser.

For some graduates, learning does not stop when students leave Southeast Tech, thanks to multiple pathway options and articulation agreements with partnering four-year institutions.

“Most of STC’s certificate and diplomas stack seamlessly into an associate degree, and AAS degrees transfer into a number of bachelor degree programs in the region,” Griggs said. “When a student makes the smart decision to enroll at Southeast Tech, they open a world of career options and career mobility.”

To learn more about scholarship opportunities at Southeast Tech, visit southeasttech.edu/scholarships. The application window opens Jan. 1, 2023.

Explore STC online with a virtual tour and interactive campus map: southeasttech.edu/map-virtual-tour.php.

Five things you might not know about Southeast Tech

• Southeast Tech students received $2.2 million in scholarships for 2022-23.
• Southeast Tech’s job placement rate is 99 percent. For 40 of STC’s programs, that rate is 100 percent.
• Southeast Tech is ranked the No. 1 two-year college in South Dakota and No. 7 out of 906 colleges evaluated nationally by Niche.com.
• More than one-third of Southeast Tech’s student body is nontraditional — not starting college immediately after high school.
• 89 percent of Southeast Tech graduates stay in South Dakota after graduation.