With the trucking industry facing a nationwide shortage of drivers, colleges in Georgia and Wyoming are taking action to open up more opportunities for commercial driver license (CDL) training.
Columbus Technical College in Georgia has just broken ground on a new facility near Fort Moore, where military veterans and other aspiring drivers can receive top-notch CDL training.
“Columbus Tech is very excited to announce this new project in the city,” said Martha Ann Todd, college president. “We believe this addition will serve as a workforce entry point for both exiting military, veterans and residents of the Chattahoochee Valley as they receive the training and resources needed to fulfill workforce gaps in current critical fields.”
Funded by Gov. Brian Kemp’s Emergency Education Relief Fund Grant award and backed by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Jack Pezold family, the CDL range project is making strides.
“This groundbreaking represents the Columbus community’s commitment to providing access to good-paying jobs for soldiers returning to civilian life while also encouraging them to remain in the Valley area,” said Jack Pezold, a prominent longtime local businessman.
The future Veterans Education Career Resource Transition Workforce Development Center will be launched together with the CDL site. The CDL training facility has a capacity to train 350 drivers per year and is set to open this fall.
CTC received a total of $1.77 million from Kemp’s $8.32 million allocations to six technical colleges for education-to-workforce pipeline programs, which will be spent on simulators, trailers, a driving pad, and a mobile classroom. The new CDL facility aims to counter the nationwide driver shortage and improve supply chain issues.
Civic and government officials, including city councilor Gary Allen, Mayor Skip Henderson, state Rep. Vance Smith, state Sen. Ed Harbison, Chief of Staff Kenneth Cutts of the U.S. House of Representatives, Brenda Williams (staffer for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock), Pezold, and retired Major Gen. Patrick Donahoe, attended the construction kick-off ceremony. CTC was represented by Ray Perren, deputy commissioner for the state’s technical college system, Greg Paul of the CTC Foundation, Todd, and Crystal Shahid, CTC board chair.
“These innovative facilities will be a game-changer for industry and employment opportunities in the area,” said Shahid.
Meanwhile, Laramie County Community College in Wyoming recently hosted an open house to spark interest in a truck driving career. Thanks to a Pre-Hire Economic Development Grant from the state Department of Workforce Services, the college can train over 100 students to obtain their CDL certification without any costs. This is a great opportunity for those who are motivated to start a career as a truck driver in Wyoming.
“The starting pay is one of the best for blue-collar jobs,” Michael Geissler, college CDL program director, said while promoting the open house. “This state and nation rely heavily on its trucking industry to keep our economy moving, so the job stability and competitive pay and benefits are outstanding.”
If you’re interested in LCCC’s CDL program, taking place at their Cheyenne or Laramie campuses, you’ll need a Wyoming driver license and must plan to work in the state after graduation. Don’t worry about finding a job after – LCCC offers job placement assistance to students who complete the program.
Source: Transport Topics
