The Ute Mountain Tribe and the Unlimited Learning Center have partnered to offer commercial driving training for tribal members in Towaoc.
The five-week course will be offered 10 times in the next year, said Anne Miller, executive director of Unlimited Learning Center, an adult education and vocational training facility in Cortez.
“We are focusing on providing this job training for the tribe for the next year,” Miller said. “The tribal council is pushing for as much job training as possible, and this is one of their greatest needs right now.”
The course is free for Ute Mountain Ute tribal members. Costs are covered from a $2.5 million grant from the Sustainable Employment Economic Development Strategies that funds programs for technology and workplace skills.
“I went through a training program like this and landed a good-paying job,” said driving instructor Franklin Laner, a Ute Mountain Ute. “Now as an instructor I have the opportunity to help my fellow tribal members do the same.”
Typically the course is 10 weeks, but a fast-track program was put in place so the course could be offered to more tribal members and tribal staff.
The SEEDS grant covers the costs for training, and students chip in a minimal amount.
Training courses for a CDL-B license typically cost $5,000 to $6,000, Miller said.
CDL-B licenses allow drivers to operate delivery trucks, construction trucks and school buses. They are required for driving jobs in the mining, logging and oil and gas industry.
Job opportunities also open up on the reservation for CDL holders, Laner said, including with Weeminuche Construction and Ute Mountain Farm and Ranch.
“The course is a lot of work, practicing and studying, but the payoff is more job opportunities,” he said. “We provide a lot of support for students.”
Tribal staff also are taking the CDL course. Students must be at least 16 years old.
Unlimited Learning Center has been offering CDL courses in Cortez for two years. For the next year, classes will be offered in Towaoc for tribal members. Then the program will return to Cortez and be open to anyone at discounted rates.
“This is a low-income area. We offer heavy discounted courses, then hunt for grants to cover the rest,” Miller said.
Miller said about 25 students passed the class and state exam in the past two years.
“Those who graduated got jobs. Some of them went to work for the city of Cortez, others went on to get their CDL-A and got jobs as long-haul truckers,” she said.
Each class can hold only five people because of COVID-19 precautions. Masks must be worn in class, and social distancing is practiced.
As an adult education center, Unlimited Learning also offers math assistance specifically tailored for assisting with CDL students.
There is a waiting list for the next few classes. Spaces are available starting in December. For more information, contact the Ute Mountain Learning Center at (970) 564-5471, or the Unlimited Learning Center at (970) 565-1601.
