which SD city is generally a better place? (Sioux Falls, Rapid City: layoffs, schools)

[thealfa]

I read an article regarding technical schools in SD giving out scholarships in the millions. The catch is you'd have to stay in the state for 3 years to work in the course of study majored.

This is the article: Sanford giving $25M for South Dakota scholarships

While I've considered moving to North Dakota, someone mentioned to me that Rapid City, SD is an option to move into while working in North Dakota.

There are 4 technical colleges in SD that are offering the scholarships. I'd have to find which one offers a degree that could be useful in the oilfields. The 4 cities those 4 technical colleges are located in are:

- Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls

- Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City

- Mitchell Technical Institute in Mitchell

- Lake Area Tech in Watertown

Which one would you pick?

[slowdog101]

Originally Posted by thealfa

I read an article regarding technical schools in SD giving out scholarships in the millions. The catch is you'd have to stay in the state for 3 years to work in the course of study majored.

This is the article: Sanford giving $25M for South Dakota scholarships

While I've considered moving to North Dakota, someone mentioned to me that Rapid City, SD is an option to move into while working in North Dakota.

There are 4 technical colleges in SD that are offering the scholarships. I'd have to find which one offers a degree that could be useful in the oilfields. The 4 cities those 4 technical colleges are located in are:

- Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls

- Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City

- Mitchell Technical Institute in Mitchell

- Lake Area Tech in Watertown

Which one would you pick?

The Bakken Oil Field is closest to Rapid City, although looking at the map it is still quite a distance. If you are working in the oil fields I doubt you will have time to do a degree program at the same time.

[SD4020]

Things have slowed up in the Bakken. What would I pick? What do you want to do? Do you have mechanical inclinations? Like diesels? Then Lake Area technical' diesel program comes to mind.

Pick what you instead of whichever area is best looking for a handout.

[Littlekw]

I have friends from Rapid that work the Bakken. Western Dakota Tech is the closest to that area but trying to get a degree while working up there is pretty difficult. The Bakken tends to put you to work three weeks on, two weeks off, or some similar schedule. You work seven days a week, make a lot of overtime and then rest for a bit.

Working in the ND oilfields can net you some great money but doing much outside of that work, educationally, will be hard. Have you considered working the oilfields until you burn out (which most people do) and then taking that money and applying it toward education? Or you could focus on schooling and getting a good paying job in ND. The latter is always an iffy choice because in the boom/bust cycle of energy extraction you never know how long the jobs will be around. With gas and oil prices plummeting right now, I'd be a little leery about delving into that field.

[SD4020]

Beware of the Bakken. Things are slowing down. Crews heading south or layoffs. I expect it to last as long as the crude prices remain low.

[thealfa]

thank you. I have the same idea as you. Work, get the money and go to school. But the article I mentioned at the start of the thread requires the person getting the scholarship to stay put in SD for the next 3 years to work after getting the degree. I'm just looking for options and planning ahead. Like I said, my current state is getting old and it may be time to move someplace new.

Originally Posted by Littlekw

I have friends from Rapid that work the Bakken. Western Dakota Tech is the closest to that area but trying to get a degree while working up there is pretty difficult. The Bakken tends to put you to work three weeks on, two weeks off, or some similar schedule. You work seven days a week, make a lot of overtime and then rest for a bit.

Working in the ND oilfields can net you some great money but doing much outside of that work, educationally, will be hard. Have you considered working the oilfields until you burn out (which most people do) and then taking that money and applying it toward education? Or you could focus on schooling and getting a good paying job in ND. The latter is always an iffy choice because in the boom/bust cycle of energy extraction you never know how long the jobs will be around. With gas and oil prices plummeting right now, I'd be a little leery about delving into that field.