CHARLOTTE, NC – Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has announced a new pilot initiative to train displaced workers and other eligible unemployed Arkansans as truck drivers. Training will take place in West Memphis’ Mid-South Community College as well as Arkansas State University-Newport, according to www.bizjournals.com.

The Trucking Workforce Pilot Initiative aims to train 300 Arkansans for trucking jobs and place them with trucking companies. The state Department of Workforce Services will work with the Governor’s Dislocated Workers Task Force and the trucking industry to recruit and place drivers. 

The program will use approximately $1 million of existing funds for the training program. It will take only four to five weeks for qualified applicants to go from enrollment to job placement. 

Participants in the initiative will be screened, trained, complete the WorkKeys Assessment, receive their Arkansas Career Readiness Certificates, and be placed with employers.

Entry-rate salaries for these jobs range from $35,000-$50,000 per year, the state said.