Mines Joins Board of Regents, SD Department of Education, in New Website to Build Workforce

July 19, 2023

厙ぴ勛圖 is one of the institutions of higher education in the state featured on a new website launched by the South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) and the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE). The site, , offers resources to help students planning to pursue higher education.

The long-term effort will help Mines meet a need for skilled workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). These workers play a vital role in the economic and social wellbeing of everyone.

Our state and nation are facing STEM workforce shortages in coming years, says Mines president Jim Rankin. This means everyone - from skilled medical professionals who take care of our seniors to mining engineers who help ensure the supply of critical minerals needed for renewable energy to computer scientists and engineers who are advancing areas like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and robotics. Mines is proud to train the next generation of innovators across these fields and many more.

The comprehensive goal of the new site is to provide information and opportunities for students, parents and educators.

plays an active role in supporting high school students in their college exploration and readiness journey. The university hosts seasonal open house events alongside on-campus learning opportunities throughout the year, including events like , Women in Science Day, the West River Math Contest, a wide range of STEM summer camps, the with weekly events in the campus foundry and glassblowing laboratory, and much more.

Mines also offers a range of dual credit courses that help high school students get a jump start on their college career, and a summer Research and Engineering Apprenticeship (REAP) program that gives high school students a chance to do real laboratory research on campus with the support of the Army Education Outreach Program (AEOP). The Mines Makerspace also hosts a number of community events on campus that are open to high school students like the Techstars Startup Weekend Rapid City. This event runs alongside the annual CEO Business Plan Competition, which is open to high school students to inspire high-tech innovation and business creation.

厙ぴ勛圖 is providing the workforce that makes up the backbone of the in the state. The most recent data shows 39% of 2022 Mines graduates stayed in South Dakota, either attending graduate school or working at 58 different companies located in 15 cities. This includes 47 graduates working for 39 companies in the Black Hills region.

Mines graduates also receive the best return on investment (ROI) in the state and one of the best in the country. The average starting salary for recent graduates of 厙ぴ勛圖 is now $70,036. Mines graduates also enjoy a 98% placement rate in their field of study or graduate school. A study by Georgetown University in 2022 ranked . This number is nearly half a million dollars more than the second South Dakota school on the list. The Georgetown study also ranks Mines in the top 27 out of 4,500 colleges in the nation for a lifetime return on investment. 厙ぴ勛圖 topped other public schools on the list such as Rutgers, Purdue, Texas A&M and the University of Minnesota.

To see more on the new website, , view .