WATERTOWN, S.D.(KXLG)- Lake Area Technical College held a ribbon cutting for the grand re-opening of the Adult Education and Literacy Program (A.E.L.) classroom. What was previously held in the west end of Watertown in the South Dakota state building is now in LATC building 200, room 218. The program helps those who need it obtain a G.E.D., English as a second language, skills training, and career readiness.

LATC AEL Coordinator Amy Marquardt discusses how they help.

Two instructors exude passion for helping. Luke Wilson and Darci Green are there every day from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm.

By moving the location to LATC, they have the future in perspective.

Instructor Luke Wilson discusses the students.

A.E.L. provides free educational classes to anyone over 18 years of age. The program is funded through the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (D.L.R.) Adult Education and Family Literacy Act grant under Title II of the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). That act was signed into law in 2014, designed to strengthen and improve the nation’s public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers.