A federal grant received by Iowa Central Community College will support veterans while creating job opportunities and improving road safety.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) awarded the college a $119,000 grant to provide Commercial Driver’s License training for veterans and individuals from underrepresented communities and to help them to pursue careers in the trucking industry.

“We are proud to be part of an initiative that enhances roadway safety and opens new career pathways for our veterans and other underserved populations,” said Shelly Blunk, dean of economic development and continuing education.

“We are honored to support our veterans with this grant allowing us to give back to those who have served by providing them with critical skills and meaningful career pathways,” she added. “This initiative is a vital investment in our local workforce, supporting veterans and underserved communities while enhancing roadway safety across the country.”

The grant will provide free tuition for veterans, their dependents, and individuals from underserved communities in trucking such as women, minorities and individuals from rural, refugee, and underserved communities.

The grant is also part of a larger initiative by FMCSA to improve driver safety and reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The grant additionally increases the pool of properly trained drivers to strengthen the trucking workforce, improve resiliency of the national supply chain, and to help diversify the trucking industry.

Iowa Central provides an 11-week Class A full training course, an accelerated six-week course, a four-week automatic only Class A course, as well as the opportunity to train on their training simulators.