Be Pro Be Proud expands to South Dakota to connect students with skilled careers
Key Highlights
- Be Pro Be Proud is expanding its reach as demand grows for skilled transportation workers.
- Hands-on career exposure is helping connect students with opportunities in trucking and other skilled fields.
- A new state partnership brings another potential pipeline for future commercial drivers and technicians.
Be Pro Be Proud recently expanded its skilled workforce program to South Dakota through a partnership with the South Dakota Home Builders Association. The company, which is a nonprofit focused on bringing a new generation of professionals into America’s skilled workforce, has now expanded its program to 10 states.
The South Dakota launch follows the organization’s first Mobile Workshop visit to the state in February 2026. During the visit, Governor Larry Rhoden and state lawmakers joined students at the state Capitol for hands-on experiences with the program.
The Mobile Workshop provides interactive experiences and immersive simulators representing more than 16 skilled professions across construction, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. Featured career paths include welding, computer numerical control (CNC) operation, diesel technology, electrical work, utility linework, robotics, and commercial truck driving.
After students explore the careers, Be Pro Be Proud connects them with education and training opportunities, industry partners, and prospective employers. The goal is to help students turn exposure to skilled professions into potential education, training, and employment opportunities.
South Dakota joins Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas as the 10th state participating in the Be Pro Be Proud program.
“South Dakota’s students deserve the chance to see these professions firsthand and understand the many opportunities right in their own backyard,” said Andrew Parker, executive director of Be Pro Be Proud. “These professions can build the next generation of fortune creators. We’re proud to bring that message to South Dakota alongside the organizations and industry leaders who helped make this happen.”
What this means for the trucking industry
The program gives students direct exposure to commercial truck driving and diesel technology alongside other skilled careers. For trucking, that creates an early connection between prospective workers and two occupations that support commercial vehicle operations. By pairing hands-on career experiences with training programs, industry partners, and potential employers, the expansion could give students a clearer path from career exploration to workforce entry. The addition of South Dakota also broadens the program’s reach to another pool of potential transportation and technical workers.
