Dakota Provisions selected for education partnership award

HURON – Dakota Provisions has been recognized as South Dakota’s Adult Education Community Partner of the Year.
The award was presented last Thursday by the South Dakota Association for Lifelong Learning during its annual awards luncheon in Sioux Falls.
Staff from Cornerstones Career Learning Center in Huron nominated Dakota Provisions for the award, citing its long-standing support of adult education in the Huron area.
Dakota Provisions has been a major employer in the Huron area since opening its doors in 2005. The company employs more than 1,000 people in its turkey processing facility. Its staff are actively involved in promoting community diversity and integration in the Huron area.
The partnership between Cornerstones Career Learning Center and Dakota Provisions began while the plant was still under construction. Representatives of the two organizations met to discuss opportunities to work together on employee training programs, and those conversations led to the creation of a food safety training program designed and taught by Cornerstones staff that all new hires at Dakota Provisions are required to complete before starting work.

Over the years, the partnership has grown to include multiple projects that benefit Dakota Provisions, its employees, Cornerstones students and the community.
Cornerstones has provided training programs for Dakota Provisions employees and English classes for non-native speakers employed at the plant.
When it became obvious that driving instruction was needed for new arrivals to Huron, Mark (Smoky) Heuston, director of human resources for the plant, became the driving force behind an effort to raise funds to bring driving simulators to Huron and to secure the donation of a driver’s education vehicle.
According to the nomination form, when Cornerstones staff learned that non-native English speakers needed specialized English instruction to be able to move into supervisory positions with Dakota Provisions, they worked with the human resources team to develop a workplace literacy program.
Without the support of Dakota Provisions management, Cornerstones would not be able to offer the number and scope of classes available today.
Heuston is a vocal supporter of English classes, and encourages employees to attend classes and work toward U.S. citizenship as soon as they are eligible.

Photo:

Cornerstones Career Learning Center staff present the 2017 South Dakota Association for Lifelong Learning Community Partner of the Year award to Smoky Heuston of Dakota Provisions. Shown are, from left, Becki Lemke, John Taylor, Heuston, Karen Hofer, Carla Newbauer and Kim Olson.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED