Davids Announces Funding for Veterans’ Truck Driving Training at Johnson County Community College
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $75,000 to Johnson County Community College (JCCC) for its accredited Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) program. This funding will provide scholarships for 15 veterans or their immediate family members to enroll in the nine-week training course aimed at gaining employment in the growing commercial trucking industry.
Davids visited JCCC's program in February, where she met with a member of the program and their current employer. Davids has heard about the impacts of the truck driver shortage from across industries, including at a recent agriculture roundtable where leaders from across the sector noted the shortage's impact on food supply chains and shipping costs. In addition to supporting federal grants for veterans' job training to address the shortage, she also introduced bipartisan legislation to encourage more women to enter the trucking industry and worked a UPS delivery shift to draw attention to these supply chain issues.
Rep. Davids visiting the JCCC CDL training program.
"The transition from military to civilian life, including navigating housing, employment, and VA benefits, can be very difficult," said Davids. "That's why I'm so glad we have institutions like Johnson County Community College here in our community who understand the importance of supporting our veterans and helping address vital workforce needs. This funding will provide 15 individuals with skills-based training for a high-demand industry that can strengthen our supply chains and fuel our economy."
"Over the past six years, seventy-four veterans or their immediate family members have been awarded a DOT CMVOST scholarship to complete Johnson County Community College's Commercial Driver's License Training program," said Elisa Waldman, Vice President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Johnson County Community College. "JCCC is privileged to continue to help veterans in our region become CDL-A drivers, a high demand, high wage occupation."
Rep. Davids visiting the JCCC CDL training program.
Background:
JCCC's CDL program is a nine-week program that combines class time, direct online study, and behind-the-wheel training in a variety of course configurations. Its graduates are sought after, with drivers earning $50,000 to $70,000 in their first year. JCCC's program is unique in that it has a student-to-instructor ratio of 2:1, compared to the industry average of 4:1.
If a veteran would like to learn more about the program or find qualification instructions, they can visit JCCC's website here.
Federal funding for this grant was authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).