The school year is over and campuses are quiet. Nonetheless, many South Dakota School of Mines and Technology students are making the most of their summer and will return with far more than they left with—valuable experience gained through internships, co-ops, and undergraduate research.
Bucking national employment statistics, School of Mines students are in demand and are working for 127 employers in 29 states, earning an average of $16.71 per hour. In addition to wages, some employers provide housing stipends and relocation expenses that are not included in the salary averages.
"These internship experiences are extremely valuable to the career advancement of our students and also workforce development in South Dakota," said Darrell Sawyer, director of the Career Center at the School of Mines. "The availability of technically-skilled college graduates with relevant work experience is critically important to continued economic development in our state."
Organizations hiring School of Mines students include Bobcat, Cargill, Garmin, John Deere, Kiewit, Microsoft, Nucor, Peabody Energy, and others. In addition to national corporations, many students are expanding their education through experiences with South Dakota employers—42 percent in fact. These companies and agencies include Black Hills Power, Daktronics, RESPEC, Sanford Underground Lab, Dakota Power, POET, Black Hills Nanosystems, Indian Health Services, South Dakota Department of Transportation, and others.
Seventy-five percent of School of Mines graduates gain relevant work experience through internships and co-ops by the time they graduate, giving them the skills employers are looking for as is evident in the 96 percent placement rate and average starting salaries of more than $56,000 that graduates achieve.
