EDGERTON, Kan. — With the need for drivers continuing to climb, the Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) branch of Johnson County Community College (JCCC) is doing its part to help the industry with the opening of its new Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL) driving range in Edgerton, Kan.
“There’s a deep need for truck drivers throughout the Midwest and a great deal of interest in our program,” said Nicholas Gonzales, JCCC CDL coordinator. “This facility is a significant addition to the program. It will enable us to train more students and increase the number of trained truck drivers available to join the workforce.”
The school held an open house and ribbon cutting event on Oct. 4 to celebrate the new range.
According to a JCCC press release, before opening the new facility, JCCC offered CDL training at two off-site locations. In 2023, 636 students completed JCCC’s Commercial Driver’s License Training Program. With this new facility, JCCC will be able to serve more than 1,000 annually. Students have already started training on the new driving range.
JE Dunn, JCCC’s selected construction partner, broke ground on the project in February 2024. The project was funded by a private grant from the Sunderland Foundation, the JCCC CDL program, and a grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
More About JCCC’s Program
According to the release, JCCC WDCE offers two flexible CDL course options — weekday classes that take 4 weeks to complete, or an evening and weekend program that takes 9 weeks. They typically hold six 4-week and five 9-week open-enrollment trainings for the public each year and can provide training to 85 students per training session.
Individuals with a CDL are qualified for many driving jobs in the trucking industry, which have been in high demand since 2020 due to fewer qualified drivers, an increase in e-commerce, and more intricate supply chains. The median national average salary for truck drivers is $54,320, and many companies offer generous signing bonuses, 401(k) plans, health insurance and paid time off, according to the release.
The release noted that JCCC’s program also offers grants, scholarships, outside funding opportunities and tuition assistance that make the program affordable. Unlike some competitors’ programs, JCCC’s is all-inclusive, so students don’t face additional testing or materials fees. There are scholarships available to eligible students, including a specific one for veterans and their family members. To learn more about funding options, click here.
Customized Training for Local and Regional Businesses
JCCC also provides customized contract CDL courses to local and regional businesses through WDCE’s Business Solutions division.
“JCCC first started offering CDL training in 2013 in response to local and regional workforce needs,” said Molly Salisbury, business solutions program director. “At the time, BNSF Railway’s Logistics Park in Edgerton, Kansas, partnered with JCCC to provide CDL training to their local employees. Over a decade later, JCCC’s program now trains all nationwide BNSF employees who require a CDL and offers customized training to other local businesses and organizations. We are thrilled that this new facility will allow us to serve more students and community partners.”
The Business Solutions team works with a wide variety of businesses and organizations in the Kansas City Metro to provide customized training in a variety of subjects, including CDL, according to the release. WDCE specialists work with area businesses and organizations to identify and define their needs and goals, build training programs for their employees and execute the training on-site at the business/organization, at JCCC, or in a hybrid format. Learn more about how JCCC customized training supports area businesses.
Through the Workforce Development and Continuing Education division, JCCC provides open enrollment workforce training, re-certification opportunities and life and leisure courses to more than 16,500 students each year. Learn more at continuinged.jccc.edu.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
