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"An open house is where students start picturing their time here," said Michael Berndt, president of Dakota County Technical College. "What they experienced aboard the Mobile Workshop is reflected in the lessons waiting for them in our classrooms. Meta's gift takes that further, creating a lab that matches the industry our students are entering, so the career they imagined this morning is the one they'll build tomorrow."

The Mobile Workshop is a full-size tractor-trailer outfitted with interactive simulators and virtual reality experiences on Meta Quest headsets. Inside, a prospective student could spend the morning operating an excavator, wiring a circuit and running a bead of weld. Hundreds of students and visitors took part.

"Ten stops, one workshop, one goal — helping students see technical professions as careers of first choice," said Andrew Parker, executive director of Be Pro Be Proud. "Employers are projected to fill about 1.7 million openings in those professions every year through 2035, and building a pipeline that big takes all of us. Days like this one, with partners like Meta and DCTC, are how a student takes the first step."

The $250,000 gift Meta announced during the program supports the development of DCTC's AI-Enabled Process Control & Operations Center, a lab designed to prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing, industrial automation and critical infrastructure. Students will work with the automated systems that keep industrial operations running, and learn when to trust what those systems tell them. The college plans to open the center to employers, regional workforce training and K-12 career exploration as well. DCTC is home to Minnesota's only Process Technology program, which launched this fall.

Meta is building an $800 million data center in Rosemount, where DCTC's campus is located, a project that will support about 100 operational jobs once complete.

"Minnesota is building the infrastructure that will power America's AI future, and that work takes electricians, welders and heavy equipment operators," said Kenton Wooden, community engagement manager at Meta. "Our partnership with Be Pro Be Proud introduces students to those trades, while DCTC provides the hands-on education to master them. With a thousand skilled tradespeople building our Rosemount Data Center in the same city, we're proud to help local students move from a first look at these careers to the work building that future."

The 10th Anniversary Tour continues through the fall supported by a $500,000 investment from Meta. Since 2023, the partnership has reached nearly 70,000 students across Meta data center communities.

About Dakota County Technical College

Dakota County Technical College prepares the region’s workforce through hands-on technical education aligned with industry needs. More than 2,500 full- and part-time students are enrolled in over 50 career-focused programs, including Construction and Manufacturing, Transportation, Healthcare, Information Technology, Business, STEM, Education, Visual Arts, and Fitness. Graduates leave with the knowledge, skills, and real-world experience needed to enter high-demand fields, advance their careers, and increase their earning potential.

About Be Pro Be Proud

Be Pro Be Proud, Inc. is a nonprofit workforce development initiative originated by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas (AIA) that connects students around the country to high-tech, high-paying technical careers. Through partnerships with state agencies, local industry and higher education, Be Pro Be Proud works to replenish a professional workforce that has been in drastic decline. The initiative launched in Arkansas in 2016 and has since licensed efforts in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

Media contact

Angela Rachels
angela@ghidotti.com
501-837-2363