New cyber apprenticeship program open to high school students
July 7, 2025
Dakota State University has added a cyber apprenticeship program for high school juniors and seniors that offers hands-on learning and the potential to earn up to 12 college credits.
The program includes tuition and wage reimbursements, making it more affordable for both the student participating and the business or organization providing the apprentice role.
“I think it’s a cool opportunity to serve their schools or communities, learn about local needs, while at the same time getting a chance to pursue higher education through college courses,” said Dr. Fenecia Homan, dean of the Governors Cyber Academy.
This recently launched program introduces high school students to different cyber areas, taking introductory courses in computer science and cyber operations and learning about hardware, virtualization, and data communication. However, the learning doesn’t stop in the classroom, continuing to learn through an accompanying apprenticeship with IT in their home school district or with a local industry partner.
In its first year, DSU has registered several apprentices from various schools with hopes of expanding with additional funding. Homan is most excited about bringing these opportunities to rural schools that may not have the resources of a larger school district.
“I’m thrilled that we have a mix of large and small schools represented,” Homan said.
Miles Krumvieda, who will be a senior at Brandon Valley this fall, learned about the program while touring DSU for a computer hardware class.
“I knew I was going to go somewhere in the computer science field, so I felt like it was a great opportunity and saw it was a paid apprenticeship,” Krumvieda said.
Over the summer, Krumvieda has been working with his school’s IT department, assisting with various projects such as wiping old computers and removing memory and video cards. He’s appreciated learning more about a career in IT and what might be a good career fit.
“I feel like I get a giant head start on everybody else,” Krumvieda said. “It’s great to get all this experience so early in life.”
Lukas Gedge, also a senior at Brandon Valley, was most interested to learn from the IT department at his school.
“I was excited to see how the school operates and how it keeps track of so many devices,” Gedge said.
The apprenticeship began by learning about what happens in the background of the school, and the hands-on activities have helped him realize the career he would like to pursue is in electrical engineering.
Gedge described the program as a great way to get a foot in the door in whatever area of interest someone might have.
“If you find you’re not interested in it, you can switch really easily,” he said. “And it gives you a lot of real-world experience.”