|
First Cohort of Students Complete JCC’s CDL Class A
Training Program at Lewis County Education Center
Published: December 21, 2021
at 11:00 a.m.
By: Press Release from Jefferson Community College
Jefferson Community College, in collaboration with
the North Country Workforce Development Institute and Lewis County,
partnered with the National Tractor Trailer School (NTTS) to offer free,
hands-on training to prepare students for the nationally recognized
commercial driver’s license (CDL) Class A exam. JCC is committed to
creating educational and career pathways that meet the needs of students
and the community. To express an interest in enrolling in a future CDL
Class A training program, email ced@sunyjefferson.edu. (l-r) Jeffery Morris, NTTS
Instructor, Zachary Aucter, NTTS Instructor, Kyle
R. Bellinger of Carthage, Austin P. Bauer of Constableville,
Martha J. Sullivan of Croghan, Justin R. Hall of Carthage, Peter A. Davoy of Croghan, and Timothy Toppin, NTTS School.
JCC & Partners
Collaborate to Help Fill Need for Truck Drivers in the
Workforce
Jefferson
Community College (JCC) is committed to creating educational and career
pathways that meet the needs of students and the community. This fall, in
collaboration with the North Country Workforce Development Institute
(NCWDI) and Lewis County, JCC partnered with the National Tractor Trailer
School to offer free hands-on training to prepare students to take the
nationally recognized commercial driver’s license (CDL) Class A exam. The
3-part exam includes a knowledge test, endorsement knowledge test
(endorsements such as carrying a passenger, driving a truck containing
liquid cargo or hazardous materials) and a driving skills test. According
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for tractor-trailer
truck drivers is expected to grow more than 6% through the year 2030 due to
recovery from the COVID-19 recession and the elevated need for truck
drivers as households and businesses increase their spending online.
“It is an honor
for Jefferson to collaborate with Lewis County, NCWDI and NTTS to devise a
solution that helps put people to work and simultaneously meets a gap in
the workforce,” says Dr. Megan A. Stadler, Associate Vice President of
Strategic Initiatives at JCC. “The College is listening to employers and
will continue to develop partnerships and programs to serve the North
Country.”
"When Lewis
County invested in our partnership with JCC in 2018, this is exactly the
type of program we had in mind,” says Ryan M. Piche, Lewis County Manager.
“The programs at the Education Center are nimble and responsive to the
workforce needs in our community. The CDL program will keep the
manufacturers, farms, and people of Lewis County moving!"
“It was with
great pleasure that NTTS had this excellent opportunity to work with JCC,
NCWDI, and Lewis County and those students selected for this grant,” says
Kimberly Sather, Program Development Director, National Tractor Trailer
School. “These students had dreams of becoming truck drivers for several
years, and by the generosity of these financial grants from our local
workforce agencies allowed these dreams to come to fruition. These students
worked so hard to complete the training program and now have a marketable
skill in a high-demand occupation. The CDL A will now allow them to
contribute to the local economy in many ways.”
The 5-week CDL
Class A training program, held at the Lewis County Education Center in
Lowville, began in November. Training consisted of 118 hours of classroom
instruction and 107 hours of behind-the-wheel hands-on learning for a total
of 225 hours of training. Behind-the-wheel training required backing
maneuvers and road rides through Lowville on a 10-speed manual transmission
which allowed students to be qualified to drive an automatic or manual
tractor-trailer without any restrictions. In the classroom, material to
prepare for the CDL Class A written exam, including Department of
Transportation safety, rules and regulations, was
presented. CDL Class A licensed drivers are qualified to drive a
tractor-trailer, dump truck, straight truck, snowplow and more.
JCC Workforce
Development is exploring running additional CDL Class A training programs.
If you are interested in enrolling in a future CDL Class A training
program, please email interest to ced@sunyjefferson.edu.
|
