NWC News Desk

Northwest College will soon offer CDL program

Posted January 15, 2020
By NWC News Desk

Individuals interested in earning their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) will soon be able to do so through the Northwest College Center for Training and Development.

This new non-credit program, established through a partnership with Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington and Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, will build on the Wyoming Works Program, which was adopted in 2019. Each institution will share the same program curriculum, which is currently in the process of being developed.

Students enrolled in Northwest College’s program will learn skills needed to obtain their CDL with an instructor on the road and in the Center for Training and Development’s simulator, a 24-foot, enclosed mobile classroom.

Manufactured by L3Harris Technologies, the simulator, which will be an integral part of NWC’s program, is designed to help students feel more comfortable and gain experience before actually getting behind the wheel.

Student drivers will first learn the basics of driving a truck including shifting gears, braking and parking without the added stress of initially being on the road. Plus, by adjusting weather and road conditions in the simulator, students can be better prepared once they actually begin driving.

Graduates can expect to have in hand the essential knowledge and practical skills to qualify for entry-level, supervised over-the-road or in-town positions driving tractor-trailers, heavy duty trucks, dump trucks, buses, school buses and medium-sized delivery trucks.

For more information, contact NWC Training & Development Specialist Christi Greaham at 307-754-6062 or Christi.Greaham@nwc.edu