SUFFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — A $20,000 grant is driving new opportunities at Tidewater Community College.
The grant will help more students get behind the wheel of TCC’s truck driving program on its Suffolk campus, and it couldn't come at a better time. Right now, truck drivers are desperately needed throughout the entire United States.
According to the American Trucking Association, the industry is short more than 50,000 drivers.
TCC’s program is helping to alleviate that shortage. The program gets students trained and certified in just four months. Not only do students get licensed, upon graduating, they’re also landing jobs in a secure industry.
Matt Isaac, an instructor in the program said it’s well worth it.
“Every student that leaves this course has a job before they leave here,” said Isaac.
By providing the students with hands-on experience, this program gets them on the road to a new career in a short amount of time. They’re trained on tractor trailers and through the use of truck driving simulators.
Just last week, the program received a $2,000 grant from the Dorothy D. Smith Charitable Foundation. In addition, they received a three-axle sleeper road tractor.
Michelle Woodhouse, the Provost of TCC’s Portsmouth campus said these gifts will allow them to train more students.
"By having more trucks, we'll be able to service more students and graduate more students from the program. Thus, ultimately contributing more employees into the workforce," said Woodhouse.
The trucking workforce is in desperate need of more workers. They’re in high demand in the state of Virginia, and it’s only expected to keep growing. According to the Occupational Information Network, Virginia estimates there will be more than 900 annual job openings for tractor-trailer truck drivers by 2024.
Roughly 70 percent of the country’s freight tonnage is moved by truck. Furthermore, truck drivers transport 100 percent of all consumer goods to stores. TCC’s program is helping fill that heavy demand. Although it’s only a four-month training period, Isaac said the coursework is challenging.
“It’s a rigorous course. It’s not for the weak of heart, but you can get a great career out of the 16 weeks,” said Isaac.
Every year, roughly 200 students graduate from this program. The local demand is so high, trucking companies are visiting the school to recruit students to drive for them right after they become certified.
“It’s good that we can change people’s lives. We can get them a new career,” said Isaac.
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