The economy has been volatile over the past few years, and as a result, many highly trained and experienced drivers have chosen to leave the workforce either by retiring or changing careers. This unfortunate circumstance only exasperated the already existing problem of a shortage of truck drivers, which according to the American Trucking Associations, has been an issue for the past 15 years. In a study by Accenture Strategy, “The Talent Well Has Run Dry,” the trucking industry is expected to face a shortage of up to 40,000 drivers over the next few years. Companies are finding themselves lacking in the number of workers needed to support the demands of society’s reliance on oil and gas. It’s a fact that truck drivers, along with other skilled workers in the oil and gas industry, are absolutely vital to, quite literally, everything. The oil and gas industry depends on truck drivers for the safe transportation of petroleum, to serve as the backbone of our economy and provide energy for not only America but also for the entire world. One way to help alleviate this demand is to encourage more people to receive technical education in preparation to enter the industry. With locations in Roosevelt and Vernal, Utah, Uintah Basin Technical College (UBTech) is the oldest technical college in the state of Utah. They opened their doors in 1968 and have been working closely with the industry for over 55 years to help fill the gap in skilled workers. UBTech offers convenient schedules, competency-based learning and training opportunities in various high-demand fields. They also offer programs for a variety of people — whether you’re an adult trying to start or advance your career or a high school student dual-enrolling to count towards high school CTE credit and college credit. UBTech serves students of all ages, from secondary students to senior citizens. To address labor market demands, the oil and gas industry, along with UPA, has partnered with UBTech to offer scholarships to students enrolled in programs that support the industry. Among these programs are UBTech’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) offerings. The Commercial Driver’s License – Class A program provides 14 UPDATE
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