BRTC’s CDL Simulator, Cally Shore, Program Specialist, and Kenny Higginbotham, CDL Instructor
POCAHONTAS, AR Feb. 15— Black River Technical College’s Corporate and Community Education Department has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with The Arkansas Department of Commerce, Office of Skills Development (OSD) for the Reskilling and Upskilling Arkansans Project.
This MOU between BRTC and the OSD provides BRTC with funding for Class A CDL training for unemployed and underemployed individuals who commit to obtaining a CDL-related job and agree to keep BRTC updated with details of their employment for the required reporting period.
Participants will earn a CDL license in five weeks, which will allow them to obtain a job that pays a salary of $40,000 to $50,000. BRTC will be able to train up to 44 drivers over an 18-month period at no cost to the college. The MOU will also allow BRTC to select and purchase a truck-driving simulator to train the students in the program.
BRTC began its CDL program in June 2020. Since then, 23 have completed the training and obtained a CDL license. The first 4 trainees in this program began in January, and BRTC plans to train 4 new students each month.
This MOU will allow BRTC to train more drivers to meet the need of the growing industry. “We are very excited and grateful to be a participant in this initiative and know that this training will make a difference in the lives of our students and their families, in addition to providing businesses in our region with trained, qualified drivers,” states Patti Blaxton, Director of Corporate & Community Education.
For more information about the CDL program, contact Director Blaxton at 870-248-4181 or pattib@blackrivertech.edu or visit https://blackrivertech.org/workforce-corporate-and-community-training/pocahontas-corporate-community-education.