Rapid City ‘downtown innovation district’ could bring job opportunities for South Dakota Mines graduates
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Elevate Rapid City and a host of other organizations are working to make the downtown innovation district a reality.
“We have a tech hub strategy development grant through the U.S. Economic Development Administration to plan out the space east of 5th to the School of Mines campus to connect that area of downtown where more creative collisions can happen,” Elevate Rapid City Housing & Community Development Manager Laura Jones said.
With this funding, plans are beginning to become more concrete. One of the innovation district consortium member organizations is South Dakota Mines. Mines Director of Industry Engagement Ann Brentlinger is working to bring engineering firms and mining companies to downtown Rapid City as part of the innovation district.
“We have all these great graduates at Mines who we want to keep here in Rapid City, in the Black Hills, and a lot of them want to stay here,” Brentlinger said. “So, we want to give them plenty of opportunities to stay here.”
Firms who choose to set up offices in the innovation district would have access to a potent labor market down the road. Current South Dakota Mines students could pursue internship opportunities at these companies, and graduates could begin their full-time careers.
Brentlinger attended the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration’s MINEXCHANGE conference in Denver last month to speak with representatives from hundreds of companies there and “get a feel for the industry.”
“We know mining is not the dusty coal miner that you think of,” Brentlinger said. “It’s very high-tech.”
Brentlinger continued by citing several programs at South Dakota Mines where students could bring impactful knowledge to the mining industry.
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