SGTC Crisp County Center hosts ribbon cutting for new Commercial Truck Driving Pad
CORDELE, Ga. – South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) is shifting gears and pushing the pedal to the metal in workforce development.
The institution held a truck dedication ceremony to celebrate the newly constructed commercial driver training range, designed to enhance its commercial truck driving courses offered on the Crisp County Center campus.
“We’ve been using the Farmers Market for our skill fields, training because the truck drivers have to learn how to back and park and all those kinds of things. And, you need a lot of room and room where they can’t run into anything because they’re student drivers and they’re learning,” said Dr. John Watford, SGTC President.
After breaking ground in May 2024, South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) students now have a dedicated space to hone their skills while training for a career in truck driving.
SGTC President, Dr. John Watford, shares more about the courses designed to prepare students for life on the road.
“The program itself is only eight weeks. After eight weeks, you sit for your cdl license and we’ll be able to have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to drive an 18 wheeler. There’s two weeks of classroom and the rest of it is either learning the backing and the parking and so forth on the skill field. And, then we get about 600, give or take, 600 miles on the road,” said Dr. Watford.
With the demand for truck drivers on the rise, this new commercial driver training range is more than just a upgrade – it’s an investment in the local workforce, supporting the nation’s transportation industry.
“Everything that we have, everything we eat, everything we drink is delivered by truck. We are here to further the economy of Georgia through workforce education. And, there’s nothing more critical to any economy, whether it’s a local economy, state or national economy, than the transfer of goods. And, of course, that’s done through truck driving. So, it relates to our mission as a college to train the workforce and further the economy,” said Dr. Watford.
De’Andra Jacobs reporting.
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