It’s estimated that nationally over a million new truck drivers will be needed by 2026, with nearly 80 % of Oregon’s freight already being shipped by semis.
Now Umpqua Community College stands ready to address that demand through $300,000 that will fund 150 scholarships.
Robin VanWinkle is Dean of UCC Community Education and Partnerships. She told KLCC that her college’s trucking program lets students earn a commercial driver’s license (CDL), and has a high job placement rate.
“From 85 to 90%. So we know who people who complete their training and earn their CDL, most of them have multiple job offers before they even complete the four-week training"
One third of the scholarship funding came from Douglas County, while the remainder came from the state of Oregon, through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund.
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