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• Earn a National Career Readiness Certificate
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Workforce Training for Young Adults

Finish High School

A high school degree offers a strong foundation to build your future. It can be difficult to complete high school. Students may get behind in credits, feel discouraged by the social environment or face other challenges. A high school degree is a positive step to turn your life around.

Why finish high school?

• Earnings. With a diploma, you’re likely to earn 40 percent more income than someone without one.
• Employability. Your chances of being employed rise by 33 percent when you finish high school.
• Advancement. You need a high school degree to go to college, and for most good jobs.
• Satisfaction. You can take pride in your accomplishment and where you are headed.
• Being a role model. It is also meaningful to your friends, family and community.

More education can lead to higher earnings and greater freedom.

Besides earning more money, people who complete higher education usually experience much greater freedom in their working life. They:

• Can choose from a greater variety of careers.
• Get to use skills they enjoy.
• Have much more success at finding new jobs when needed.

They are also more likely to own their home, have children and other family members who attend college, and be a role model in their communities. They are less likely to have serious struggles like long-term unemployment, poverty and going to prison.

In this chart, see how earnings rise along with education levels, and how workers with less education experience more unemployment:

Are you convinced to take the next step towards your high school degree?

High School Equivalency

Learn more about the high school equivalency in South Dakota and find a testing center near you.

Adult Education

Receive assistance tailored to meet your educational needs. The Adult Education and Literacy Program emphasizes skills such as reading, writing, numeracy, financial literacy, English language competency, problem-solving, health literacy and family literacy. These skills improve workplace readiness and help transition to postsecondary education and a higher quality of life.

Job Corps

Job Corps is a free education and training program that helps young people learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job. For eligible young people at least 16 years of age who qualify as low income, Job Corps provides the all-around skills needed to succeed in a career and in life.

Take the Next Step:

To learn more about the Workforce Training program, contact your local job service office to schedule a meeting with an employment specialist.