Dakota Roots Showing Progress

Posted on Friday, August 1, 2008

A state wide program that was unveiled in Madison nearly two years ago, is being hailed as a success. Dakota Roots is a worker recruitment program that encourages those with ties to South Dakota to return. Anyone from around the nation can list their desired fields of interest. Department of Labor staff then try to match participants with current job openings in South Dakota.

To date, 557 individuals have secured employment, while over 2,693 people have used the site since its creation. South Dakota Secretary of Labor, Pam Roberts, says the program has been a tremendous success. Roberts adds that people from 45 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have moved to South Dakota using the site. The average age of those entering employment is 36-years-old.

Dakota Roots is one program of the state's Workforce 2025 initiative. It was unveiled in the Fall of 2006 at Dakota State University in Madison. For more information visit www.DakotaRoots.com.