The 15th class from Wayne Community College’s Truck Driver Training evening course has graduated.
Graduates of the program were tested through written and behind-the-wheel exams to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to safely and successfully operate commercial vehicles. These individuals earned a Class A Commercial Driver’s License, DOT 380 certificate, and WCC Workforce Continuing Education certificate.
The nine graduates, listed by city of residence, are:
Dudley
David E. Diaz
Goldsboro
Keyon Carter
Corey A. Gibbs
Mount Olive
Ricardo Contreras Rodriguez
Brayan I. Gonsales-Ortiz
Pikeville
Jarde R. Spruill
Seven Springs
Hector Mendoza-Ramos
Angel A. Vasquez
Walstonburg
Florrentino Gonzalez
During the program’s graduation ceremony, Contreras Rodriguez and Gibbs were both recognized for having the highest grade point average in the class.
WCC Vice President of Workforce Continuing Education Services and Community Engagement Renita Dawson spoke about WCC’s commitment to respond to the needs of the community and local employers. “Meeting these employment needs means providing qualified truck drivers to our employers who rely on transportation to distribute their goods and services,” she said.
“We are very proud of you, our graduates, and the persistence you showed in completing this training,” Dawson said. “Wayne Community College applauds you.”
Gibbs offered remarks on behalf of his class, reflecting on his time learning from the instructors and driving with his classmates. “I want to thank Wayne Community College for the opportunity,” he said. To his fellow graduates, Gibbs said, “Take a job you know you’re going to enjoy doing, and you’ll make a career out of it. I hope everybody will be successful.”
Tony Hardy, the first Truck Driver Training instructor at WCC who helped establish the program, shared during the ceremony how a dream turned into an idea that eventually became a conversation to start the program. “We started with five students. It is a wonderful blessing to see that it has morphed and developed into what we’ve got today,” he said.
Hardy encouraged the graduates to be proud of their new credential. “It’s a wonderful experience,” he said about truck driving. “I wish you all the best in the future.”
Since the first Truck Driver Training class began in 2019, WCC has offered 17 classes and graduated 183 students from the program.
Graduates of the program can expect to earn from $40,000 to $60,000 annually in their first year with an established company. Employment is available locally, regionally, and nationally in various industries, in governmental agencies, and by self-employment.
The program’s next course will run from Jan. 7–April 17. Classes will be held from 6–10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 7 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturdays.
A list of enrollment requirements, as well as details about the program, can be found at https://www.waynecc.edu/truck.
For more information about the Truck Driver Training program, contact WCC Workforce and Community Service Programs Coordinator Lisa Newkirk at 919-739-6931 or ldnewkirk@waynecc.edu.
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.