The City of Duluth and MnDOT are offering free Commercial Driver's License training this summer. 

The scholarship program is directed toward women, people of color, and disadvantaged folks. 

"Between women and people of color, that's about 60 percent of our workforce. And so any employer, any industry that's missing out on both of those groups are missing out on a huge chunk of our available workforce," Duluth's Director of Workforce Development Elena Foshay said. 

She said especially with the multiyear Twin Ports Interchange project, the construction industry is going to be hiring. 

"There's a lot of jobs involved in highway heavy construction that require a Commercial Driver's License so you can drive a dump truck or an asphalt delivery truck," Foshay said.

The Lake Superior College program starts in August. Foshay recommends getting in touch with CareerForce as soon as possible because she expects spots to fill. 

The city is also working with Duluth Public Schools to offer training for paraprofessionals, who work in classrooms, often with students with special needs. Those courses will be offered in July and September. 

To watch the original WDIO-TV Report and see related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website here.  https://www.wdio.com/news/duluth-mndot-offering-free-cdl-training-highway-construction/6138426/