YULEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis awarded more than $3.1 million to educate and increase the number of truckers in Florida on Thursday.
The $3.1 million grant went to Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) to establish the Nassau County Transportation Education Institute, a commercial driving facility that will expand the workforce training available at FSCJ’s Nassau Center.
“Commercial drivers are a critical component of our supply chain as these men and women help ensure the efficient movement of goods within each of our communities,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault. “Through these awards, Gov. DeSantis is providing more opportunities for this crucial industry as the need for additional skilled drivers has been very clear, especially this past year.”
This award will allow FSCJ to purchase new training trucks and construct two commercial vehicle driving pads for the Transportation Education Institute.
Through this program, students can obtain Commercial Driver’s License Class B and Class C credentials. In turn, individuals will be equipped to enter the workforce in the high-wage transportation, logistics, and supply chain industry in Northeast Florida, according to Gov. DeSantis.
The program will be able to provide required driving classes and endorsements for an estimated 1,240 individuals to obtain high-demand jobs in the transportation industry.
