A recently launched non-profit, the Next Generation in Trucking Association, has partnered with schools in Kentucky, Wisconsin and California, to provide commercial driver’s license and diesel technician training programs.

The association was created to engage the next generation of trucking industry professionals by partnering with both public and private schools and community/technical colleges to offer training opportunities that will eventually lead to jobs. The programs are designed to promote trucking as a positive career field, encourage training and employment of young people in the industry, and create a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Recent partnerships include Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Kentucky; Jessamine Career and Technology Center in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Fairdale High School, Louisville, Kentucky; and Lux-Casco in Luxemburg, Wisconsin.

“Programs like this one are critical game changers for not only developing a skilled workforce but also creating pathways for that skilled workforce to advance in their careers in the trucking industry,” said Lindsey Trent, co-chair of Next Generation in Trucking, and the customer and business development manager at Ryder, in a press release. “We are eager to train, mentor, and match a fresh generation of drivers to the 21st century needs and demands of the trucking industry.”