Job center, Emery Sapp to offer CDL apprenticeship program

Demand is high for commercial truck drivers, and the Capital City Job Center is offering local job seekers an opportunity to help meet that need.

The job center is scheduled to hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) registration event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday at its location in the Capital Mall, offering paid training opportunities and job placement for low-income prospective drivers. Those hopefuls will complete 160 hours of training in Columbia with an apprenticeship wage of $22 an hour.

Emery Sapp & Sons, a multi-faceted contracting group with a location in Columbia and a partner in the apprenticeship program, will offer new drivers positions starting at $24 an hour, with pay increments based on performance.

"There is an extremely high demand for both over-the-road and local truck drivers," said Sundi Jo Graham, Central Workforce Development Region communications coordinator. "We're doing everything we can to help remove the barrier to employment for job seekers who may not be able to afford training, as well as provide employers with ready and willing team members who play an important role in keeping our economy moving in the right direction."

Participants will be required to complete the program, attend all of the training, and be willing to travel and stay overnight throughout the week. They must also be willing to accept employment and start immediately.

Applicants will be required to bring their driver's license and Social Security card to the registration event.

Other CDL registration events will be held at job centers in Rolla, Columbia and Lebanon in the coming weeks.

The job center offers this opportunity to break into the industry through funding from the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which was passed in 2014 to help get prospective workers into high-quality jobs while also bolstering hiring and retention efforts for employers.

CDL training can cost up to $4,000, according to a news release, creating a substantial time and expense barrier to those hoping for a career as a commercial driver. New federal regulations also went into effect in February after several years of delays, requiring new CDL applicants and those seeking a license upgrade to complete additional theory and skill requirements before moving on to state testing. Local employers were split on the update earlier this year, with some touting clearer baselines and minimum standards while others worried the additional requirements would increase the barrier to entry.

Apprenticeships are a focus of Missouri and the job centers, which are a collaboration with the state Office of Workforce Development, Central Ozarks Private Industry Council (COPIC) and the Central Workforce Development Board. The Show-Me State is No. 3 in the nation for completed apprenticeships, No. 4 for new apprenticeships and No. 6 for active apprentices, according to the release.

CDLs are also a hot commodity: Between 17,000-22,000 new CDLs are issued annually in Missouri, according to the state. The Jefferson City metropolitan area was home to 5,170 employees in the transportation and material moving industry as of 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Capital City Job Center is located at 3600 Country Club Drive.