business backgrounder | education & workforce
Grant Funding Aims to Keep Washington ’ s Trucking Industry Rolling
Scholarships , More Instructors , Expanded Programming Top Funded Improvements .
Carrina Stanton
SBCTC ’ s new WA CDL grant funding is allowing local colleges to tailor how they grow their CDL programs to their programs , students , and workforce .
At A Glance
Eighty percent of Washington communities rely solely on trucks to deliver needed goods .
The need for truck drivers is expected to grow by 4 % by 2031 , with an estimated 259,900 openings nationwide .
In the first year alone , WA CDL funding will increase CDL students among the community and technical colleges by 166 and will fund scholarships for 250 students at private / career colleges .
Wes Hartwell of Raymond , a student in the CDL program at Grays Harbor College , practices driving a vehicle at the college ’ s practice facility at the Satsop Business Park .
Grays Harbor College shuttered and dismantled its commercial driver ’ s license ( CDL ) program during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Today , thanks in part to a new state-funded grant program aimed at boosting the number of truck drivers , the program has not only restarted but is turning out graduates who land jobs as soon as they complete their schooling .
“ With the grant , we can bring it back full bore and really try to increase the number of graduates we ’ re putting out into the workforce ,” said Martin Reimer , the school ’ s Dean of Instruction , Transition and Community Development Education .
The state Legislature funded the WA CDL Grant in the state ’ s 2022 Supplemental Budget to increase workforce development in trucking , trucking-related supply chain industries and school bus driving . Eight community and technical colleges and four private / career colleges received the first WA CDL grants . The funding can be used for financial assistance for students and for other needs that would allow these programs to grow their offerings and enrollment .
Grays Harbor College GHC . edu
Lower Columbia College lowercolumbia . edu
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges sbctc . edu / colleges-staff / grants / cdl-pcsc
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