South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has declared this Careers in Energy Week to encourage students to partake in heightened opportunities to explore the rewarding careers South Dakota offers in the energy industry.
Students in the Rapid City area had the opportunity to learn about energy careers with Black Hills Power on Wednesday at the Black Hills Power Service Center in Rapid City. Mitchell Technical Institute had its learning trailer on site, featuring interactive stations where students learned about energy careers in natural gas, electricity and renewable energy. MTI students were also at the event to talk to high school students about activities in energy-related programs at MTI. Participants had the chance to ride in a bucket truck, and energy experts conducted presentations on generation, engineering, line mechanics and more.
Over the next seven years, Black Hills Corporation and other utilities across the nation may lose up to 50 percent of the technical workforce due to retirements, said Mike Theis, director of utility strategies for Black Hills Power. There will be a significant need for qualified professionals in the energy sector. These critical infrastructure jobs are essential to the economy and our nation s ability to maintain and improve our standard of living. We rely on line mechanics, system control operators, power plant operators and many others to provide safe, reliable energy to our customers.
Black Hills Power is one of MTI’s long-standing partners, providing expertise, technical and financial support, internships and employment opportunities for graduates in energy programs.
Black Hills Power Inc. is the legacy utility business of Black Hills Corp. and has been delivering energy for more than 128 years. The electric utility serves 68,000 customers in 34 communities in western South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and southeastern Montana.
