Increasing licensed commercial drivers in Cook County to help address shortage
May 04, 2023 08:36AM ● By Content Editor
From Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation - May 4, 2023
Cook County Higher Education (CCHE) is hosting a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) cohort that began May 1 in Grand Marais and has 12 people working towards obtaining their license. The certified course is being taught through Minnesota North College Customized Training Solutions (CTS). Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $50,000 Workforce Development grant to CCHE. Total tuition investment for this cohort is estimated at $70,000. The cohort aims to help address the need for school bus and truck drivers in northeastern Minnesota and respond to the new federal requirement that CDL applicants attend a qualified course before seeking certification. CDL training tuition typically costs $1,000 to $5,495. The agency’s grant and other funding sources helped offer the training free to Cook County residents. |
 The students will complete a one-month online course plus in-person training by instructors from Cook County and Minnesota North College CTS. They will learn how to perform a pre-trip inspection of a semi-truck and trailer. Students are required to pass a Department of Transportation physical and drug screen. They will receive Behind-the-Wheel (BTW) training and can then test to obtain their CDL. Once licensed, they will may legally drive school buses, semi-trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks and other large vehicles.“We began noticing that our local school district was advertising the need for bus drivers,” said Kelsey Rogers Kennedy, CCHE program director. “We started to research how we could be part of the solution and assist with training. It quickly became apparent that the need for CDL training was larger than bus drivers. There was a county-wide need for CDLs that was impacting all sectors of Cook County's economy.” |
 Rogers Kennedy explained that Cook County's demand for services is growing, and all sectors of the local economy benefit from an increase in CDL drivers including:
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 CDL training traditionally is taught at Minnesota North College’s Hibbing campus. Through a coordinated effort by CCHE, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and several local and regional advocates, CCHE brought the online learning modules, written exam, physical and BTW training to Cook County. Students are only required to leave the county for the drug screening and BTW testing. There will be a summer 2023 training session for residents of Cook County who are interested in being a school bus driver for ISD 166. Learn more about the Summer 2023 CDL training application. Email Danae Beaudette for Workforce Development grant information or call her at 218-735-3022. |
