Another set of enrollment records has been broken at Mitchell Technical Institute with its largest enrollment ever recorded in Fall 2014.
The total number of students enrolled is 1,259, up from 1,227 in Fall 2013 and 1,097 in Fall 2012. That represents a 2.6% increase in one year.
According to MTI president Greg Von Wald, the enrollment increase is attributable to several factors. “Our close relationships with industry, coupled with our rapid response time, allow us to develop and start programs that are in demand by students and by employers. We provide excellent education value for our graduates and we are pleased to see so many of our state’s young people taking advantage of that to help fill South Dakota’s workforce needs.”
MTI has several new programs this fall including a popular Human Services Technician program and an online Advanced Medical Imaging program. In addition, interest in welding and manufacturing has increased in the region to the point where the school added a second section to accommodate student demand. Welding and manufacturing is one of several critical needs programs targeted by statewide efforts to increase the number of highly skilled welders and machinists needed in the workforce.
Also contributing to the increase are an increasing number of high school students who are dual-enrolled, earning high school and college credit simultaneously. Governor Dennis Daugaard’s administration is supporting the dual enrollment program by supplementing the tuition cost for South Dakota high school students.
MTI is one of four technical institutes in the state, founded in 1968. More than 16,000 students have graduated from the school since it opened. Recent placement data indicates that 99% of the Class of 2013 found employment within six months of graduation and 85% of those opted to remain in South Dakota.
