Key Points

• North Dakota students are getting prepared for the workforce while in high school through the expansion of the Southwest Area Career and Technical Education Academy.
• The facility in Dickinson has begun its first year of full operations with the opening of additional campus space, reflecting ongoing support from industries in the region.
• A $125,000 grant from Marathon Petroleum’s Dickinson renewable diesel facility helped provide a mobile welding lab with a robot for instruction in automated welding.

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The new school year has brought expanded efforts to deliver workforce solutions to industries across southwestern North Dakota. After launching in 2023, the Southwest Area Career and Technical Education Academy (SWCTE) in Dickinson has begun its first year of full operations with the opening of additional campus space.

“We are excited to continue adding programs for our students and industry partners,” SWCTE Director Aaron Anderson said. “We will serve over 2,700 student seat enrollments this school year through our campus and satellite programs, including students from seven high schools in the region and home-schooled students.” 

Courses across more than two dozen career fields include dual-credit opportunities in agriculture, health sciences, computer science, criminal justice and firefighting. SWCTE also hosts college programs in welding and diesel technology in collaboration with Dickinson State University. Regular industry assistance and feedback along with market assessments of jobs in demand help shape SWCTE’s curriculum. 

“Industry support has made it possible to provide, in some cases, one-of-a-kind experiences for our students,” said Anderson.

One example is a $125,000 community investment grant from Marathon Petroleum’s Dickinson renewable diesel facility. The funds helped provide a mobile welding lab that rotates among schools in the region, staying for six to nine weeks at a time.

“This unit has a robot that trains students in automated welding and the technology that surrounds it,” Anderson said. “This makes a state-of-the-art piece of equipment accessible to schools and students that likely wouldn’t be possible otherwise because of the costs.” 

Other Marathon assistance has come through employee volunteers from the Dickinson renewable diesel facility. Recently, Maintenance Foreman Nick Forster, Mechanic Dylan Schaper and Lead Human Resources Business Partner DeEll Jordre engaged students in discussions about their futures during a SWCTE career day event.

“This region has been blessed with an amazing educational facility that sits on 40 acres in Dickinson,” Jordre said. “I feel that students need exposure to job opportunities to understand careers in their own backyard, and the programs offered by this academy provide just that.”