Lake Area Technical Institute

Lake Area Technical Institute is a technical school located in Watertown, South Dakota. The campus covers 40 acres and serves an area of 18,000 square miles. Founded in 1965, Lake Area Tech was the first technical school to be established in South Dakota, followed by schools in Mitchell, Sioux Falls and Rapid City.

Today, Lake Area Tech has 29 programs, 13 E-Degrees and serves more than 1,700 full-time, part-time and online students. Some of the school's longstanding programs include: Agriculture, Welding, Cosmetology, Diesel, Aviation Maintenance, and Nursing. Currently, the school boasts a 16:1 student/faculty ratio, small class sizes, low tuition cost and a 98% graduate placement rate.


Aspen Award

For the second year in a row, Lake Area Tech has been named to the Aspen Institute's 2013 Top 10 list of finalists for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The Prize will be awarded in March of 2013 in Washington, D.C. to the winner and up to four finalists-with-distinction.

In 2011, Lake Area Tech was named one of the top five community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute's Community College Excellence program. The award was the result of a year's worth of data collection and site visits conducted by the Aspen Institute. The nation's 1,200 two-year colleges were reviewed and ranked according to the critical elements of student success, including learning, completion, and employment after college. After being named a top ten finalist in September, Lake Area Tech was declared a "Finalist with Distinction" at an announcement ceremony in Washingtown, D.C. Three other two-year schools share the "Finalist with Distinction" title, including Miami Dade College (Miami, FL); Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla, WA); and West Kentucky Community and Technical College (Paducah, KY). First prize was awarded to Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.

According to Aspen's research, LATI has one of the best graduation rates in America. The school has also been applauded for providing degrees that that lead directly to employment. "The structure developed by LATI has a huge impact," said Josh Wyner, Executive Director of Aspen's College Excellence Program. "Students can't slip through the cracks. They enter knowing exactly what they will be doing, and their everyday instructors make sure they stay on track. As importantly, the Institute has developed the kind of relationships with area professionals to make sure that students graduate with the specific kind of knowledge they will need to be successful in the workplace."

LATI has been recognized as "Fastest Growing 2 Year College" (2007), a "Great College to Work For" the past four years in a row by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The technical school was also included on the 2012 Military Friendly Schools list.


Business Partnerships

Each of Lake Area Tech's 29 programs rely on the guidance of an advisory board of industry owners and professionals. These advisory boards keep LATI curriculum abreast of industry trends and demands. Board members also give Lake Area Tech faculty and administration immediate feedback on how graduates are performing in the workplace.

To assist in the development of a skilled workforce for the region, business partners often provide LATI programs with training equipment and internship opportunities. For example, as a result of business partnerships, Diesel and Ag students have access to a truck chassis dynamometer and a variety of new machinery for hands-on training. LATI is also among a select group of two-year schools to have a cadaver lab. Examples of LATI business partners include: Butler CAT Corporation, Prairie Lakes Health Care System, Titan Machinery, South Dakota Wheatgrowers, Cenex/Harvest States, Building Products Inc, Missouri River Energy, Ottertail Power, Watertown Municipal Utilities, Valley Queen Cheese, Horton Manufacturing, First Bank and Trust, and the Watertown Community Foundation.


Growth

The fall of 2012 marks nine consecutive years of enrollment growth for Lake Area Technical Institute. Due to the increasing number of students, the school began a four-phase campus expansion project in the fall of 2008. The project includes a new Diesel, Energy, and Welding facility, a new Automotive and Health Science Facility, a centralized Student Center, and a new Agriculture facility. In addition, the school has developed new programs to meet local and regional industry needs. These programs include the unique Energy Operations program, Custom Paint and Fabrication, Entrepreneurship, and new options within the Business Associate program including Hospitality & Tourism, Photography/Media, and Interior Business Design. Lake Area Tech has also added a new "Security Specialist" option to Computer Information Systems, as well as a Med/Fire Rescue program. New programs for the fall of 2013 include High Performance Engine Machining and Heavy Equipment Operator.


Lake Area Technical Institute is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, which is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

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