This summer Action Inc. will launch a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training program to provide free job training to low income, unemployed or underemployed Cape Ann residents. As there is high demand among local employers for employees with a CDL, the program is designed to help connect local residents with employment opportunities, a key strategic priority for Action Inc. The first cohort, starting this summer, is expected to include 15 participants, and the agency hopes to train more than 50 drivers over the next three years.
The program will include intensive instruction, preparing participants to complete the written and road test components of the CDL. Staff at Action Inc. will also work with individuals in the program to search for jobs, write resumes and prepare for interviews. Action Inc. received strategic grant funding from Sailors’ Snug Harbor of Boston to pilot this program for three years.
Action Inc. will partner with Pathways for Children, who will provide qualified trainers and the vehicles that students will use to prepare for the road test. The program will also include the required medicals, first aid training and other requirements of CDL drivers.
Graduates of the program will be qualified to drive a number of different types of commercial vehicles including buses, school buses, dump trucks, concrete pump trucks, large box trucks, and garbage and recycling trucks. This means there are a number of diverse career paths open to graduates of the program, giving them greater flexibility and more opportunities to find employment.
The program will launch later this month with two mandatory information sessions for anyone interested in the program. These will take place at Action Inc. on May 21st and May 23rd. Classes are planned to commence in June and testing will take place in August. Anyone interested in the program is encouraged to visit www.actioninc.org, or contact Penny at phasseli@actioninc.org for more information.
Action Inc., which also provides nurse aide training and adult education programming at its Riley Education and Training Center in Gloucester, has been providing job training programs for 44 years.
“This is a program we have been interested in launching for many years. We have had great success in delivering health care training, and it is great to be able to provide more options to folks,” said Peggy Hegarty-Steck, Action Inc.’s Executive Director. “Many CDL jobs offer a high starting salary, between $18-$22 per hour, and there is rising local demand. We are excited to be able to connect local people with good, local jobs.”
“The Sailors’ Snug Harbor Foundation has been a great supporter of Action Inc. for many years, and we are honored to be the first grantee in their three-year strategic grantmaking program,” said Joe McEvoy, Director of Planning and Development at Action Inc. “We are also delighted to be working with Pathways for Children, a great community partner, to provide this training locally.”
“For over 50 years, Action Inc. has brought positive change to Gloucester and Cape Ann, and the CDL training program is another example of their commitment to the community. I’m proud of the Action team for their hard work,” said Gloucester’s Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. “This program is a great opportunity to connect people with skills needed to become a commercial driver and provide them the opportunity to secure good paying employment.”
For more information about the CDL Training Program, contact Penny Hasseli at 978-282-1000 ext. 117 or phasseli@actioninc.org.
