Times wins 8th consecutive Newspaper of Year title
June 24, 2015
Our Mistake
June 24, 2015
South Central Louisiana Technical College’s commercial vehicle operations’ program recently got a $69,000 boost.
A local consortium – Performance Foodservice-Caro, Gaubert Oil and Buquet Distributing – donated money for the CVO program.
“Our investment in the driver training programs is a way for Performance Foodservice-Caro to give back to the community in which we rely on, as a resource for our labor pool,” company president Ralph Boudreau said in a release. His outfit contributed $24,000 to the program. “There is a much-needed demand in our area for professional drivers and this educational institution can help satisfy this demand.
“We also hope this investment will allow some individuals the opportunity to better themselves and improve their quality of life …,” he added.
Gaubert Oil president Grady Gaubert, whose company donated $15,000 as well as a tank trailer, said state and federal budget cuts require local companies who rely on a trained workforce to invest.
.. we see the need to help these schools to continue to offer this valued service to the people of our community,” he said.
The combination of high turnover rates and strict industry regulations is to blame for the driver shortage, according to JJ Buquet, president of Buquet Distributing. The company invested $30,000 in the program.
“It’ll be slow, but if we reach out
to industry in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, there’s a tremendous amount of demand that needs to be met,” he said.
Employees who possess a CDL earn between $48,000 and $52,000 annually, according to SCLTC spokesperson Jessica Thornton. Drivers with hazmat training earn more.
The six-week training CVO program costs $2,500, and offers hands-on training for Class A and Class B licenses.
Several local companies donated $69,000 to South Central Louisiana Technical College’s commercial vehicle operations’ programs.
