Next stop: your career
There is a growing need for skilled drivers of large vehicles; from delivering online purchases to homes, driving children to school or delivering goods across the state in a semi-truck. A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) fills a needed service in our community.
To become a professional driver, you first need to have a Commercial Learner Permit. This allows drivers to practice driving and then take a behind-the-wheel road test. Those wishing to get a learner permit must pass a knowledge test in English, on paper or on a computer. There are up to twelve sections of the test based on the variety of driving classifications the student is seeking.
Metro North Adult Basic Education (ABE) offers a CDL Permit Preparation class to help students launch their driving careers. During this ten-week class, students receive literacy instruction to help master the knowledge test and also meet potential employers.
During one Session, Voigt’s Bus Company visited the class and answered student questions about a career safely transporting school-age children to school. Voigt drivers gave students the real world experience of conducting a vehicle safety inspection in the parking lot of the Adult Education Center in Columbia Heights. This preparation provides students with insight into their future career possibilities and useful experience entering the workforce.