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MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) — Focus.
That's one of Mark Wilson's favorite things about technical schools: a focused mission to train highly skilled technical workers.
"Really the drive is to help our students be successful so they can fill the shortage of the workforce needs in our state," he said. "Supplying graduates for the workforce, that's our main goal."
Wilson, 48, assumed his position as Mitchell Technical Institute's new president in July, after former president Greg Von Wald retired, The Daily Republic (http://bit.ly/1NNdb1K ) reported.
No stranger to technical education, Wilson was president of Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City for three years before taking the helm at MTI. Before that, Wilson worked as the state director of the Office of Career Learning and Instruction for South Dakota for seven years. A North Dakota native, prior to moving to South Dakota, Wilson worked for the North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education.
"Basically a career in technical education has been my life, my passion," Wilson said.
Wilson and his wife, Diana, relocated to Mitchell from their house in the Black Hills. They each have two children. They also have two dogs, and in what little free time they have, Wilson said they like to travel and spend time with family and friends.
Wilson said the people and the community drew him to Mitchell, as well as the opportunity to work with the "unique programs offered here at Mitchell Tech." He praised the region's diverse industry, and said he hopes to help continue the school's success.
"I enjoyed working with Mitchell Tech when I was the state director for technical education, and the people have drawn me here," he said.
He lauds the strong working relationship MTI has with its local and regional business community, saying the school has an "upper edge" on that.
"They do a great job with that, working with business and industries in the community and in the region. Simply because they get that connection, and what is exciting about it, is obviously, is that our employers in this region want our graduates," he said.
He also credits the passion of MTI's instructors, noting that some of the instructors are graduates of MTI programs who worked in industry for a time before returning to MTI to teach.
"That is a big deal," Wilson said. "It's very exciting to see that kind of passion that our instructors have, and the drive that they have to help our students be successful."
Wilson said that's another of his favorite things about working in career and technical education_the people who are passionate about it.
He has a bachelor's degree in technology education from Valley City State University, and a master's in educational administration from the University of North Dakota. He started his career teaching, and has taught middle school to high school to adult courses. In addition, Wilson spent time working with a contractor in construction, working on architectural design to construction to carpentry.
"I like to say, I lived it," Wilson said of his experience in career and technical education. "I got to work hand in hand with industry folks and blue collar folks who, that's what they did."
Julie Brookbank, director of marketing and public relations at MTI, said Wilson's past experience in the classroom also helps him relate to the staff and faculty members he leads at MTI.
"I think it gives you an empathy and a really good perspective for what our instructors face when they walk into that classroom every day," she said. "You kind of have to have a good feel for that to be successful."
Only about a month and a half into his new position at MTI_today is the first day of classes for the fall semester_Wilson said he is still getting acquainted with some of the ins and outs. But through his role at Western Dakota Tech and with the state of South Dakota, Wilson said he is familiar with the legacy of growth and success left behind by Von Wald and his predecessor, Chris Paustian, who was MTI's president for 23 years_and Wilson is eager to continue that success.
"I'm very respectful of Greg Von Wald. I enjoyed working with Greg when he was here, I enjoyed working with Chris Paustian when he was here," he said. "So I want to respect what those gentlemen have done and accomplished, and just keep the good things that have happened here at Mitchell Tech moving forward."
Achieving that vision will come through collaboration, Wilson said. In his first weeks on the job, Wilson said he has been getting acquainted with his colleagues at MTI, and working with the state Department of Education and other technical institutes in the state as they prepare for the legislative session. It's important, Wilson said, for the state's four technical institutes to be on the same page as they approach the Legislature and governor's office with ideas and proposals.
"We are unique because we know that we are stronger as a system," Wilson said.
He credits the governor's office and the governor for their support of providing tech schools with high-tech equipment, which Wilson noted is expensive. Wilson also praised the governor's office, state Department of Education and the Legislature for supporting technical schools' bond issues.
"You go across the state and we have very nice facilities, and our campuses are up to date," Wilson said. "And I think now you find out with the dual credit opportunities, we really have a great opportunity for students to have access to high-tech labs, high-technical labs, with this new equipment that the governor's future funds have been able to help us purchase."
But there's more work to be done, he said, which is why the state's four technical institutions_Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, Western Dakota Tech and MTI_have banded together to create SD Techs Work 2021, which Wilson described as an overall, strategic five-year plan to present to the Legislature.
An overview of the plan_details of the proposal are still being hammered out_shows the overarching goal focuses on "providing quality postsecondary education and training to enable South Dakota's workforce and economy to grow." To accomplish that goal, Wilson said the tech schools hope to zero in on product, people and plant (facilities).
Wilson said it's similar to a push the state's technical schools made about 10 years ago that focused on 2015 as its target date.
"What's interesting about it is, we did meet a lot of those goals, but now this is the time to get going on the new initiative," Wilson said. "Especially now when we have a lot of things in place, and now it's time to ratchet it up a little more and see what we can do to produce more graduates in the highly skilled areas."
Wilson also praised the state's Build Dakota Scholarships, which he said are opening doors and bringing notice to technical careers in the state_something badly needed to combat the workforce shortage.
One of his goals, and of tech schools in the state, he said, will be to get more graduates pushed through the state's Build Dakota Scholarship, which are awarded to skilled scholars entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota technical institutes. High-need fields of study include welding, surgical technician, precision machining, automotive, practical nursing, building trades/construction, energy technician, engineering technician and medical laboratory technician.
At MTI, Wilson pointed toward programs such as welding, agriculture power and manufacturing as areas in need of expansion_both because of market demand, and because of student interest. He also sees opportunities to grow MTI's programming.
"Also there's always that energy connection," he said.
Wilson hopes to work closely with instructors at MTI, particularly as the school looks to expand in the next couple of years. He looks forward to meeting with the faculty members who will be affected by those changes and getting their feedback.
"I want to hear what they are thinking, as well, because they are part of this whole situation," he said. "They know that we need to produce more graduates, so what can we do to look at some different ways and additional ways to make that happen."
Looming gaps in industry aren't unique to South Dakota. Wilson and Brookbank said as the baby boomer generation begins to retire, there are more and more gaps to fill in everything from welding to diesel mechanics to agriculture to construction.
"It's hard to look in any direction in our state and not see an occupation that isn't going to have some need in the next few years," Brookbank said.
And it doesn't just affect the employers searching for new employees_Wilson and Brookbank pointed out the impact such gaps in skilled trades can have on everyone, from consumers of automobiles to health care to electricity.
"Who doesn't want electricity? Who doesn't want their furnace to work or their air conditioner to work, depending on where they live?" Brookbank said. "It touches everybody."
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Information from: The Daily Republic, http://www.mitchellrepublic.com
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