A unique collaboration between Ford Motor Co. and 41 community and technical colleges across the country is helping students and the automotive industry.

Ford's Automotive Student Service Education Training or "ASSET" program enables students to complete a two-year associate degree program as certified Ford automotive technicians. In Nebraska, the program is at Southeast Community College's Milford Campus.

ASSET instructor Mark Berggren, who chairs the program, said dealerships require their technicians be certified, and the program can save them considerable time and money.

"On average, an automotive technician that starts with the service department at a dealership, they have none of these certifications and have to go and get them," he said. "It takes roughly five to eight years, Ford has told us, to get those same certifications we're delivering in two years."

Ford and Lincoln dealerships also play a role, as all ASSET students must be sponsored by a dealership. Berggren explained that the program includes periods when students get paid, hands-on experience at their dealerships. He said the best aspect of the program for many students is knowing they have a job on "day one" after they graduate.

Beggren said about half the students who enroll already have a sponsorship commitment from a dealership.

"So they're picking out a potential candidate that they can grow, and then they send us that student," he said. "Now, when we have some students that don't have dealers, and we can help them out with that process, because we know, of course, all the dealerships and the service management and can point in that direction."

Adamaris Peraza, a second-year student in Southeast's ASSET program, took automotive courses in high school, which led to an apprenticeship at a local dealership. Peraza said she was later moved to another dealership within the company, and they asked her to go to school for them.

"They were talking to me about Southeast Community College, and it just sounded like a pretty good deal," she said. "It's like having all my certifications in just two years, and we also have a chance to already have a job through the dealership."

The country is expected to need an average of 68,000 additional automotive technicians and mechanics yearly between now and 2032.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom.

The bill, which narrowly cleared the Senate last week, also contains provisions that would require the Ten Commandments be taught in civics classes.

Opponents say the mandate crosses the line when it comes to separation of church and state. In the recent debate, state Sen. Stephanie Sauder, R-Bryant, a former teacher, said her biggest issue was the loss of local control.

"This bill, which will remove the school's freedom of choice to decide what's best for their students and their district," said Sauder, "and it'll also take away a parent's freedom to challenge the decision."

Sauder voted against the measure, which ended up passing in the Senate by a single vote. Backers of the bill say it's an important part of learning U.S. history, but opponents such as Sauder say current teaching already makes mention of the commandments when covering various religions.

Louisiana recently became the first state to adopt this requirement, but it's being challenged in court. Opponents in South Dakota warn of similar litigation here, if this bill crosses the finish line. But supporters such as state Sen. Sue Peterson, R-Sioux Falls, suggest the concerns about the words being on display are overblown.

"'Thou shall not steal.' 'Thou shall not kill' - I don't think that hurts anything," Peterson said. "In fact, I think it's helpful."

But other lawmakers, who say they adhere to the same guiding principles, question whether this mandate would solve any broader issue. Beyond Louisiana and the South Dakota proposal, a handful of other conservative states are considering similar measures, most notably Texas.


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The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation.

Although Hoosier student rates are improving, the numbers show they still rank behind national figures. The report, called "A Stronger Nation," showed nearly 55% of American adults aged 25-64 have a college degree or industry-recognized certification. Indiana's attainment rate is almost 54%, six points shy of the 2025 goal for the state.

Teresa Lubbers, a Lumina Foundation board member and president of the Sagamore Institute, an Indianapolis-based think tank focusing on social impact issues, said the study was done with a sense of urgency.

"I think that having the 60% goal was the rallying call for us, not just as a number but why that number was directly tied to the needs of the workforce," Lubbers explained. "If someone was going to have prosperity in their life and Indiana's economy was going to be strong, this was an imperative, not a choice."

The report specified a post-high school education as an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree or college-level or industry-recognized certificate. The report noted 60 % of adults in the United States will need a post-high school credential showing completion in training and a demonstrated competency in an employable skill. Indiana's short-term credential achievement rate is slightly under 12%.

Data classified by race and ethnicity shows progress across the board. Among Black students, 42% either have an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree while 44% of white students, 28% of Hispanic students, and 63% of Asian students have obtained the degrees.

Lubbers touted the importance of compiling the study.

"Whether it's college readiness, college completion, dual credit, return on investment, the number of credentials and certificates, all of those things roll up to make the case for what we're doing and what's working," Lubbers added.

Graduation level gaps are closing, Lubbers noted, thanks to the 21st Century Scholars Program which provides eligible, low-income students with a full ride scholarship to a participating Indiana college or university. Report recommendations for reaching state goals are to maintain the current achievement figures and to boost enrollment numbers in credential-based institutions.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

West Virginia's innovative programs and a boost in state financial aid have made it possible for more people to earn a college degree or get a credential that shows they've achieved competency in a specific field.

The latest data from Lumina Foundation show more than 44% of adults in the Mountain State have attained some level of education after high school.

West Virginia Invest, the state's free community college program, and Level Up, which offers dual enrollment for high schoolers, are driving the increase, said Sarah Tucker, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. She said dual enrollment can help keep young students on the right track "by enrolling them in dual-enrollment courses in high school that are tailored to the major that they are interested in when they go on to college."

According to the report, in 2023, nearly 10% of West Virginians held an associate degree and around 13% held a bachelor's degree.

Tucker said the state has also worked to increase FAFSA participation - the form families fill out to get financial aid for college. She noted that last year, the commission staff completed more than 200 FAFSA workshops at high schools, even when the program temporarily shut down.

"We doubled our needs-based aid program," she said, "so that our neediest students would be able to go to college and wouldn't be left sitting home, which was my biggest fear."

Affordability is another factor. In West Virginia, Tucker said, 60% of community college students graduate with no student debt to repay.

"What we have seen in the past several years, through keeping our tuition low and this investment by the state," she said, "is that we have really increased the number of our students who don't have any loans."

Nationwide, nearly 55% of people have a postsecondary degree or credential, and around 47% hold a bachelor's degree.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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