UACCB secures state funding for CDL and heavy equipment training

The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville has been awarded $90,000 from the Arkansas Department of Transportation to strengthen its workforce training programs in heavy equipment operations and commercial driver’s license (CDL) instruction.

The funding is part of ARDOT’s Transportation-Related Research and Workforce Development Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026, which supports education and industry training to enhance the state’s transportation infrastructure and workforce.

UACCB’s project, titled “Fueling Workforce Readiness: A Multifaceted Transportation Training Initiative,” aims to expand hands-on learning opportunities and improve the quality of instruction for students pursuing CDL A and B certifications and heavy machinery operation.

The Batesville campus is one of three recipients of the competitive grant program. ARDOT awarded a total of $456,000 to publicly funded colleges across the state, including the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and the University of Arkansas East Arkansas Community College.

According to ARDOT, the grant program is designed to support the study of materials and sources to provide resilient and sustainable logistics, processes, materials, and methods to ensure cost-effectiveness and the furtherance of education and economic development in transportation. The TRRWDGP also supports industry training, apprenticeship, and educational programs for transportation-related personnel development. Eligible recipients are limited to publicly funded institutions of higher education.

File image: White River Now