From the Classroom to Career-Ready in Less Than Two Years

From Nursing to Agriculture to Wind Technology, Lake Region State College (LRSC) is taking future pro’s from the classroom to a rewarding career in the trades… in less than two years. 

“We have had great feedback from students that complete our one year certificate and two year AAS degrees in our technical programs,” said LRSC president Dr. Doug Darling. “Recently, we had two students from Devils Lake complete the one year certificate as a Wind Energy Technician. They are both employed at North Dakota wind farms, working on completing their AAS degrees online with their employers reimbursing their tuition. One year after high school graduation, they have jobs that pay $65,000 and their employer is paying for them to get their Associate Degree and later a Bachelor’s Degree. Meanwhile, their high school classmates are still in college, paying tuition and accumulating student loans.” 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) puts a spotlight on a job in the trades to encourage a competitive workplace by creating a pipeline of talented students to service local industry.

And the mission of LRSC is to ignite that spark of interest.

“In North Dakota as well as nationally, there is a workforce shortage in many of the skilled trades. We need Wind Energy Technicians, Simulation Technicians, Automotive Technicians, Nurses, and many other positions. These are critical positions to keep the economy moving. These jobs pay more than many jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Darling.

Ready to Unlock Their Future 

According to a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, interest in white to blue-collar jobs is waning due to general disenchantment with the ever-rising cost of a traditional college education and lackluster starting salaries within traditional fields of business.

According to Education Data, the national student loan debt has ballooned to over $1.7 trillion, with the average college graduate being saddled with $106,850. Sallie Mae has chimed in with its own illuminating statistics, indicating that collegiate students can expect to pay an average of $36,436/year for college, almost double the $17,600/year for attending a trade school.

That reality isn’t lost on area students. LRSC has seen enrollment spike consistently year over year, welcoming 1,903 students who enrolled for Spring 2025, an uptick from the 1,711 that were enrolled in 2024.

“We are seeing more students choose to begin their career by completing a CTE program, getting into the workforce sooner, and later continuing their education to complete a bachelor’s degree as they move up into management in their field,” said Dr. Darling. “We are also seeing more students and employers taking advantage of programs like apprenticeships and internships to utilize work-based learning to bring students into the workforce quicker.” 

Students are encouraged to apply for a scholarship from the Community College Foundation (CCF), which has been supporting the school since 1959 after being established as an endowment by community leaders.

“The Community College Foundation provides over $500,000 of scholarships to LRSC students annually. It also supports LRSC programs with funding for equipment, professional development and training needed to keep programs on the cutting edge. CCF has also assisted in raising funds to match state dollars to construct new instructional facilities. With the help of the CCF, we have recently added new facilities for Nursing and Precision Agriculture,” said Dr. Darling.

For more information about LRSC’s inspiring offering of CTE programs, click here!