Workforce Education Grants

In 2013, the South Dakota Legislature established the Workforce Education Fund through SB 235. Part of that fund was designated to provide grants for Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs in secondary schools.

The Workforce Education Grants provide school districts and private, nonprofit entities who provide specialized training in South Dakota the opportunity to make transformative change in career and technical education programs. High quality CTE programs give students the knowledge, skills and experiences to be well prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce. Partnerships among secondary education, postsecondary education, and business & industry lay the foundation for modern CTE programs. These grants will efficiently increase the number of students with access to high quality career and technical education programs in the state.

The Workforce Education Grants are awarded through a competitive submission and review process. As such, grant teams are expected to make significant and meaningful improvements to Career & Technical Education programs; applications should not be one-off projects for small equipment purchases, teacher training, student transportation, or similar activities. The Workforce Education Grants are one-time awards. If additional grants are available in the future from the fund, districts will not be re-awarded funds to sustain the initial award.

Contact your Regional Career Development Specialists to discuss potential grant ideas.

General questions about the Workforce Education Grants can be directed to Kara Schweitzer at (605) 220-3381.

Any questions on financial accounting related to grant awards, contact Susan Woodmansey, (605) 773-4748, or Bobbi Leiferman, (605) 773-5407, in the Department's Division of Finance & Management.