Keys Energy Services’ Apprentice Substation Electrician Raynald Bastien, who will soon take the Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL) test at CFK, visits the College accompanied by a CDL certified co-worker.

College, collaborators drive home new workforce opportunity for commercial drivers 

KEY WEST, FL, October 1, 2020—The College of the Florida Keys (CFK), with help from a team of community partners, drove home a new workforce development opportunity for professional vehicle drivers in the Keys. As an official Third Party Test Administrator for Commercial Drivers’ Licenses (CDL), approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), the College will now be able to provide testing for A, B, and C class CDL licenses. The special license is required to operate large vehicles used in a variety of essential functions in the community—ranging from transporting people to maintaining utilities to collecting trash.

A coalition of local organizations joined forces with the College to bring this valuable service to the Keys. Waste Management and the City of Key West are lending space for a driving course, marked with traffic cones donated by Historic Tours of America, where the drivers will test. Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority Operations Supervisor Tony Campo trained to become a CDL Third Party Tester and is now working for the College part-time to administer the CDL test. Additional Keys organizations stand to benefit from the new opportunity, including: Keys Energy, Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, Monroe County, City of Marathon, and Monroe County School District. Previously, businesses had to send drivers to the mainland for testing, expending extra time and money to maintain a qualified workforce.

Under the leadership of Megan Perez, CFK’s Director of Community Engagement & Testing, the College formalized plans and procedures and fulfilled the necessary requirements to obtain approval from the FLHSMV to be a CDL Third Party Test Administrator. While approval came in February, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays and complicated protocols for the face-to-face elements of the testing. Perez worked with the FLHSMV to develop procedures for the tester and students to interact. Last week, the College began CDL testing services for employed drivers who need certification. Since the pandemic, many drivers were issued extensions until they could safely certify their CDL.

“Collaboration was key in this valuable workforce development venture. Our community partners were integral in bringing together the resources necessary for the College to be designated as a CDL Third Party Administrator,” said Jack Seubert, CFK Dean of Marine Sciences and Technology, who also oversees workforce development programs at the College. “We’re looking forward to supporting local businesses, utilities, government services, and their employees by offering this new testing opportunity in the Keys.”

For more information about CFK’s CDL testing, contact the College’s Office of Community Education, Workforce, and Testing at 305-809-3185 or [email protected].

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