Education and Workforce Training

Club on the Grow: B&G Club’s Success Detailed At YAPG Meeting

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

In its first years, the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton hasn’t gotten the numbers it was seeking — instead, it’s been far greater. The daily usage at the Yankton site has grown tenfold since its beginning, according to Tim Lease, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of the Northern Plains. He shared the story of the club’s growth with Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) members Tuesday. “When we first started (in Yankton), we had 20 youth a day who were using the club. Now, we’re near 200, and we have an average daily attendance of 46,” he told th...

Yankton High School Internship Program Steps into the Spotlight

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Other school districts are looking to copy Yankton’s successful internship program. Wednesday, the Yankton School District (YSD) hosted the first of several “CTE: See It In Action!” days set for the 2019-2020 school year by the South Dakota Department of Education. These events are intended to give participants a first-hand look at the top-notch internship programs school districts are providing across the state, as well as a chance to talk with the host districts’ staff and community partners about how to implement specific programs. Read the full article in the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan

New Chair of Mount Mary College’s Business Department is Helping to Bridge the Gap Between the College and Community

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Mount Mary College recently welcomed Jamison Rounds as the new chair of its business department. Rounds is no stranger to business - he founded a business valuation firm in Crooks, South Dakota - nor to education as he has taught a variety of courses at the University of South Dakota. In fact, if asked, he would tell you that he has spent his career at the intersection of education, economic development and small business. And, because faith is also an important component of Rounds’ life, he is particularly excited to be at Mount Mary College where faith and business are synchronous. Now...

Great Plains Processing Sets Up Shop in Yankton

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Great Plains Processing (GPP) is a Minnesota-based manufacturing company that produces animal feed products and has become a global leader in custom spray drying and blending for the feed industry. In addition to manufacturing, GPP annually distributes several thousand tons of finished products to over 40 countries from its facility in Luverne, Minnesota. Since 2000, the company has experienced a 20 percent growth year over year and as a response, the company realized they needed to open a second location. Roots in the Midwest GPP is headquartered in Luverne, Minnesota and looked for another location in the Midwest due to its central locatio...

Yankton Residents Can Influence Policy Through Polls

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Civic participation is integral to maintaining an effective democracy that truly represents the people. But according to a recent poll, only 12 percent of Americans reported having attended a meeting in their community in the previous year. Finding easy ways for busy citizens to participate in matters that affect them is a priority for the City of Yankton and Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG). That’s why we’ve partnered to test out an online platform to help gauge public opinion. Polco is an independent website and mobile app that integrates with social media. The civic participation technology platform educates citizens about current initiative...

New Apprenticeship Opportunity in Yankton

Wednesday, June 05, 2019

There was a time when students could work their way through college without having to take on much debt. But the price of a four-year degree doubled between 1989 and 2016, and wage gains in that same period were sluggish. For students seeking a path to a good career that doesn’t include being saddled with debt, apprenticeships offer an attractive alternative. Apprenticeships are also an effective way for companies to recruit and retain a workforce, which is imperative as the labor market continues to tighten. A renewed emphasis on apprenticeships is helping businesses meet their increasing demand for skilled workers as technolog...

Beer Industry Contributes $925 Million Annually to South Dakota's Economy

Friday, May 24, 2019

New Study Shows 7,227 Jobs in South Dakota Linked to Strong Beer Industry ALEXANDRIA, Va. /PRNewswire/ -- Just ahead of Memorial Day, which marks one of the top beer selling holidays of the year and the start of the summer beer selling season, a new economic impact study shows America's beer industry contributes $925 million annually to South Dakota's economy and supports 7,227 jobs in the state. Jointly commissioned by the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) and the Beer Institute, the study shows that the 7,227 jobs impacted by the beer industry in South Dakota account for $260 million each year in wages and benefits. The industry also generates $129 million annually in business, personal and consumption taxes. The beer industr...

Avera Ranked first in nation for long-term care resident experience

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Avera has ranked first out of the top 20 organizations that earned a 2019 Customer Approved Award from NRC Health, a Lincoln, Nebraska based healthcare intelligence firm. According to a news release, the award recognizes senior-care organizations across the country for creating an outstanding care experience for their customers. Only 20 independent living, assisted living, or skilled nursing organizations earned this distinction. Winners were selected according to the results from NRC Health’s 2018 resident and family experience survey. To qualify, organizations must have a high percentage of respondents willing to recommend their locations to friends and family. This measure is know...

State of the Community Video

Monday, May 20, 2019

Watch Nancy Wenande, our CEO, present at the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce's State of the Community. Nancy's presentation begins around 30:15!

Tim Jurgens to Speak at YAPG Quarterly Meeting

Monday, May 06, 2019

Yankton Area Progressive Growth is pleased to announce that Tim Jurgens, Executive Director of Lutheran Social Services for New Americans, will be the speaker at the YAPG Quarterly Meeting to be held May 14th. Mr. Jurgens will discuss how a community should plan to successfully welcome a growing and diverse population. All YAPG members and investors are invited to attend the Quarterly Meeting. For more information on the event or to become a YAPG member or investor, contact the YAPG office by calling (605) 665-9011 or emailing christine@yanktonsd.com.

Labor Dept. Expands Apprenticeships

Thursday, November 14, 2019

PIERRE — The Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is providing $370,000 in incentive funding to help businesses and organizations expand the number of Registered Apprenticeships Programs in South Dakota. Businesses could apply for up to a maximum of $20,000 in funding to help offset the initial start-up costs when developing a new program. “Registered Apprenticeships are a great way for businesses to build a quality workforce with the exact skills they need to fill their openings,” said state DLR Secretary Marcia Hultman. “We have a pool of untapped workers ready to learn new skills, and this will expand training opportunities, especiall...

Seeking The Next Step: Following Layoffs, Employees Directed To Resources

Thursday, October 31, 2019

A rare round of layoffs has come to a Yankton manufacturer, but area resources are looking to make sure the disruption is as minimal as possible for employees. This week, 37 employees were laid off at Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. (KPI). At the same time, management reached out to Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) and the South Dakota Department of Labor to inquire about opportunities for the affected parties. Read the Full Article in the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan

State of the Community Recap

Monday, October 28, 2019

Two of Yankton’s biggest education entities have their eyes firmly set on the future. During Tuesday’s Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce “State of the Community” address, Yankton School District (YSD) superintendent Dr. Wayne Kindle and Mount Marty College (MMC) president Dr. Marcus Long discussed their visions for the future. Read Full Article Here

Yankton's Hydro location receives Governor's safety award for the second straight year

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Hydro Yankton team recently received the South Dakota Governor’s “Meritorious Achievement Award in Occupational Safety” for the second year in a row. This award is given to businesses that show sustainable improvements across all safety programs with the goal of preventing injuries.

Firm OK’d For Apprenticeship Program

Tuesday, June 04, 2019

A Yankton manufacturer is adding a new tool to an already robust toolbox for helping students discover a new career. This spring, Applied Engineering was approved by the state to begin offering an apprenticeship program. Applied Engineering General Manager Justin Schramm told the Press & Dakotan that the program adds to the opportunities already offered by Applied Engineering through Lake Area Tech and Build Dakota scholarships. Read the complete article here!

State Of The Community

Monday, May 20, 2019

Workforce and social media presence are ongoing issues, but downtown Yankton is still seeing a continued rebirth. These were among the topics discussed Thursday during the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Community address. Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) CEO Nancy Wenande said one of the biggest challenges facing the city remains workforce. "It really comes to us getting more people to come to Yankton," she said. "That is the only way we’re going to (fill vacant jobs)." Read the complete article here!

LSS Director Addresses Foreign Labor

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

With many cities in the state facing mounting workforce shortage issues, communities are stepping up exploration of bringing in labor from beyond the state — and the country’s — borders. On Tuesday, Lutheran Social Services (LSS) executive director Tim Jurgens addressed the Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG) quarterly meeting at the Avera Professional Pavilion about how that process could look. LSS helps with refugee resettlement within the state of South Dakota. Read the complete article here!

Sales and Use Tax Rebate Programs Available for Livestock Development

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

In an effort to encourage more livestock development, the sale and use tax rebate programs (South Dakota Jobs Grant and Reinvestment Payment Program) are now available for that purpose. Last year, South Dakota counties turned down millions of dollars in capital investment related to livestock development. With the increased focus on agriculture at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) with the Ag Development division relocating into the agency, the GOED saw an opportunity to address this very important issue. The GOED recognized that there was an opportunity to utilize two existing programs within the agency that have existed for severa...

A Week To Laud Development

Monday, May 06, 2019

Along with April showers turning into May flowers I hope you are celebrating National Economic Development Week! Yes, get out your party hats and whoop it up with all your friends and family to celebrate our diverse and growing economy in Yankton. You hear me constantly talking about collaboration and partnerships and how together we can create greater momentum. Within the realm of economic development, it isn’t one organization (such as City, County, MMC, YSD, YAPG) working independently to strengthen the economy. We all may have separate strategic plans and mission statements, but the overall vision for the community is wha...

Fighting For Cybersecurity

Friday, May 03, 2019

Like. Double-tap. Send. Retweet. It’s second-nature for us. Every day, a typical American will spend more than 11 hours interacting with media. On average, we check our phones every 12 minutes — immersing ourselves in screens more than 80 times per day. You hardly need me to point out the ever-increasing dependency on connected technologies in our everyday lives. But while the connectedness of our networks and devices bolsters convenience in an astounding way, that convenience brings heightened vulnerability. Read Gov. Noem's complete article here!

'House Of Peace'

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

‘House of peace.’ That’s how Fr. Valerian Odermann equated Tuesday afternoon’s groundbreaking and naming ceremony for a new athletic fieldhouse at Mount Marty College and the institution’s Benedictine values. Odermann, the college’s chaplain, provided the blessing for the ceremony to kick-start the $15 million, 100,000-square-foot facility that will be named the Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse. Dirt work recently began on the complex that is set to be completed next summer. Read the complete article here!

Nancy Recommends: Opportunity Zone Podcast

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

If you're looking for a resource to learn more about Opportunity Zones, then YAPG CEO Nancy Wenande recommends checking out The Opportunity Zones Database's weekly podcast on opportunity zones. Past episodes are available on their website or find their podcasts on Apple or Spotify. Explore the podcast here!