A groundbreaking was held Thursday for a new Career and Technology Center in Dunseith that will teach technical skills.
The $15 million center will soon be under construction right across from Dunseith High School.
“It gives our students an industry-certified certification coming right out of high school. So they’ll be employble and hit the workforce trained and ready to go. In different areas such as welding, or plumbing, we have the RV tech, health careers, food service,” said Superintendent David Sjol.
There was also a cultural prayer and dance to honor the land where this new center will be before construction began.
“One of our medicines we use is the Kinnikinnick, the tobacco. And we offer that so that we let them know what we’re gonna be doing, and why we’re doing it, we make an offering. So we do that to Earth Mother because you’re gonna be disturbing her when you go in and you start building on her so let them know what’s happening,” said language and cultural teacher JT Shining Oneside.
The center is expected to be completed by next year.
“It’s quite an interest already. And a lot of that comes through word-of-mouth and through excitement of other kids. We have a great population of hands-on students. And they like to work with their hands and build things and so this is just up their alley,” said Sjol.
The center will also have a training program for the Hoefer RV manufacturing plant where students will be able to learn skills to be RV technicians.
This helps students prepare for a stable career right in town thanks to a one-of-a-kind program.
“The first high school in North America to be able to get this level two program running, which is also going to have state high school credits, I think that’s wonderful. Cause this is a program that was initially designed for technical colleges and now we’re bringing it down to that grade 9 to 12 level,” said Charles Hoefer, the CEO of Hoefer Group.
If this program is successful, Hoefer says these types of opportunities will only grow here in North Dakota.
Hoefer says the training program will create a feeder system for students to be able to work at the manufacturing plant after completing the program.