Diesel Degree Developed

One key to sustaining growing businesses in Aberdeen is to sustain an educated workforce. Our state’s technical colleges play a significant role in developing skilled labor to address the needs of businesses. Unfortunately, the closet trade school to Aberdeen is Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) in Watertown. But due to a significant grant from the South Dakota Department of Education of $250,000, the Aberdeen Development Corporation (ADC) has partnered with LATI to create a diesel technology program here in the Industrial Park. On August 10, the Aberdeen Chamber was on hand to do a ribbon cutting to officially open the new facility. Those in attendance where officials from LATI, area machinery and implement businesses, Aberdeen Development Corporation staff and board of directors, Chamber members and other community leaders. The new “diesel classroom” still needs to be outfitted with the appropriate equipment, but Michael Bockorny, ADC’s Chief Executive Officer, says that’s all in the works. Training is scheduled to begin this November while LATI plans to kick off their first two-year program in August, 2018 from the Aberdeen location. // – TROY MCQUILLEN