LBW collaborates in partnership with Covington Electric Southeast Gas for CDLs

The LBW Community College’s Workforce and Development continues to rise with its grant-funded program. It is an Entry Level driver Training program and is necessary to get the commercial driver’s license (CDL).

The Covington Electric Cooperative providing a alternative training facility seven employees from the local area are now only a step removed from getting their CDL.

“A year ago, we began working with LBW on training employees for our broadband project, Buzz Broadband. As we grew our relationship between us and the LBW Workforce and Development director we discovered that LBWCC provided the entry Level Driver Training program, and we signed two of our new employees to the program. Because of a conflict that occurred during the week Covington Electric has provided their Storm Staging area for CDL participants to practice until they were able be able to return back at Covington County Arena. Covington County Arena where normal training is conducted. Covington Electric Cooperative is proud to assist the community college in our area, and we’re fully committed to supporting the development of our workforce community. We have seen 30 new employees just in the past two years as well as we have found that the LBW Workforce and Development group has been a huge benefit to us. The location needed this week was because the arena was used by the state’s rodeo championships this next week.” stated Covington Electric Safety and Compliance Manager Jason Saunders.

The necessity for the site change this week was because the arena was used by the state final rodeo this week.

LBW Director for Workforce Development Chad Sutton stated that the discussion took place during the initial stages of the school’s CDL program.

“We discovered the venue for our training and also was able to find a backup venue. Covington Electric suggested this to us, and we’ve always kept it in our pockets. It’s great to have the possibility and it shows that the community that they are working with various organisations. We are currently working on a variety of programs right now with them and we are very excited,” Sutton said.

Seven construction workers were present at the training and included four workers who were from Southeast Gas. It was a Range and Road course completed this week is among the last stages of the entry level driver training program, before students travel on to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and take their road test in the presence of an officer.

Construction workers at Southeast Gas were taking part in the entry Level driver Training programme this week. They require the CDL in the first year after they begin their employment within the company. With a range of three to four new construction workers recruited every year, getting them trained and certified to operate company vehicles according to standards that were new CDL standards was becoming a challenge.

Southeast Gas Director Corporate Services Shannon Jackson felt it was an honor to work with LBWCC.

“Workforce growth is an important top priority in our company as a company at Southeast Gas. Recruitment has been a challenge everywhere over the last couple of years. With the introduction of new CDL requirements making it more difficult to get our construction workers certified and licensed is more challenging,” Jackson said. “The Program for Skills to Success enables us to speed up this process.”

Southeast Gas Safety Coordinator Mark Fowler and Sutton started working on a plan to resolve the problem. The LBW commercial driver’s license course allows both businesses and individuals such as Southeast Gas to participate in fast accreditation. Four Southeast Gas employees already passed their theoretical course and received their commercial learner’s license. After having completed the LBWCC’s Skills for Success Range and Road course, they’ll pass an ALEA road test in the coming month.

“This week’s course is an example of community cooperation at its finest. First, we collaborated with LBW which is providing essential training for our workforce and, then Covington Electric graciously provided the location to LBW to hold the training,” said Jackson. “Now all of our workers are able to be successful and we’re confident they will become licensed by the end the month. This is a fantastic illustration of what a workforce development program looks like. Together, we’re building the overall workforce of our region and, in turn, giving a boost to our communities.”

Covington County resident Mitchell Maddox has worked at Southeast Gas as a construction worker for the past seven months.

“During this CDL course of training we’ve learned everything to be ready for an adventure on the road. Jim (Jim) showed us how to handle road dangers and emergency situations. We talked about how we’ve come far in just 3 days.” Maddox said. “I am looking forward to obtaining my license once I’ve completed the course. I’m also anticipating the possibility of a raise in my salary. Within our group, everyone is very supportive of one another and has been encouraging to one another. This has been a great thing.”

Fowler shared the same view as Jackson regarding the program’s ability to help Southeast Gas accelerate the licensure process by a few months.

“This one week program is beneficial to us the most because it allows our employees to experience a limited number of interruptions in their work while they obtain the required certificates. The advantage of using LBWCC today is that employees are able to be a part of both their theoretical course as well as their road course throughout the institution. We congratulate LBWCC for providing this course to our area and we’re creating a stronger workforce for the southeast of Alabama,” Fowler said.

Saunders, Sutton, and Jackson Saunders, Sutton, and Jackson were thankful for the opportunity to get together as a team to improve the lives of those around them.

“We work with LBWCC as well as The Alabama Community College System on creating a program to hopefully provide training to utility workers across the state, whose employers have added skid steers for their vehicles. As a result, workers will be more prepared for operating their machines effectively and safely,” Saunders said.

“It could be an exciting opportunity to collaborate with all utilities in the state to create the program in place “When employees can obtain a certificate for the equipment they’re working on, this will help their case,” Sutton stated. “If we help someone train to be more effective than when they started this is called work force development,” Jackson said.

James “Jim” Ethington was employed as the instructor of the course. He has been a privately-owned contractor certified with the State of Alabama as a certified CDL instructor.

“I really enjoy doing what I do, especially when I teach a class as that we are having right now. I’ve taught students the pre-trip that is quite extensive. Additionally, we have a basic understanding in which they show their capability to reverse with a straight line of at least 100 feet. They also have an offset to move between columns. Also, they have a 90-degree back up to place a trailer at an angle of 90 degrees to the width of 12 feet. Seven of them have been committed and have been easy to master. They need to prove that on their road test to get their CDL. They’re moving forward with their lives and maximizing the chance to get the CDL in their pockets,” Ethington said.

Ethington will return to Andalusia on June 19for the following course.

For more details on this LBW Workforce Training and Fast Track program, please contact csutton@lbwcc.edu.

The article LBW is partnering in partnership with Covington Electric, Southeast Gas to offer CDLs was originally published at The Andalusia Star-News.