We’ve all seen the stories: the American Trucking Association estimated that there was a shortage of 30,000 qualified drivers earlier this year, a number on track
to rise to 200,000 over the next decade. Trucking companies are turning down
business for want of workers. So how did Surry Community College respond? They
saw the need for a new Truck Driver Training Program that is now graduating
15-20 new truck drivers per session.

No industry seems hotter than trucking right now

According to a recent article in the Mt. Airy news, this new
program is a revamp of a truck driving program that SCC used to have through a
private company.  Dr. David Shockley, Surry Community
College’s President said about the program, “There are currently job openings
for truck drivers locally and nationally. We developed this program as a direct
response to the requests from local truck driving representatives who need
skilled applicants to fill job vacancies.” Moreover, the tuition for a local
resident is under $2,000 and can help individuals get jobs
that, according to the Department of Labor, can pay more than $38,000 for
beginning drivers.

The decision to start this program reflected a great
decision by Surry Community College. They saw a business opportunity and
capitalized. Great businesses can come from great decisions, right?