The economy has been volatile over the past few years, and as a result, many highly trained and experienced drivers have chosen to leave the workforce either by retiring or changing careers. This unfortunate circumstance only exasperated the already existing problem of a shortage of truck drivers, which according to the American Trucking Associations, has been an issue for the past 15 years.
In a study by Accenture Strategy, “The Talent Well Has Run Dry,” the trucking industry is expected to face a shortage of up to 40,000 drivers over the next few years. Companies are finding themselves lacking in the number of workers needed to support the demands of society’s reliance on oil and gas.
It’s a fact that truck drivers, along with other skilled workers in the oil and gas industry, are absolutely vital to, quite literally, everything. The oil and gas industry depends on truck drivers for the safe transportation of petroleum, to serve as the backbone of our economy and provide energy for not only America but also for the entire world.
One way to help alleviate this demand is to encourage more people to receive technical education in preparation to enter the industry. With locations in Roosevelt and Vernal, Utah, Uintah Basin Technical College (UBTech) is the oldest technical college in the state of Utah. They opened their doors in 1968 and have been working closely with the industry for over 55 years to help fill the gap in skilled workers.
UBTech offers convenient schedules, competency-based learning and training opportunities in various high-demand fields. They also offer programs for a variety of people — whether you’re an adult trying to start or advance your career or a high school student dual-enrolling to count towards high school CTE credit and college credit. UBTech serves students of all ages, from secondary students to senior citizens.
To address labor market demands, the oil and gas industry, along with UPA, has partnered with UBTech to offer scholarships to students enrolled in programs that support the industry. Among these programs are UBTech’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) offerings. The Commercial Driver’s License – Class A program provides the hands-on driving experience necessary to enter the workforce, while the Advanced Energy Transportation program is designed for drivers who already possess a CDL and want to specialize in safely transporting petroleum.
Students who go through programs at UBTech are also blessed with great instructors. Heather Lowry, the chief development officer for UBTech, highlighted this in a recent interview: “Those instructors just bend over backward to try and get them through the system and get their licenses. We have fabulous staff here.”
The president of UPA, Rikki Hrenko-Browning, also speaks highly of the program at UBTech: “Great things are happening in the Uintah Basin … We heard about the collaborative efforts UBTech has been having to assist in the driver shortage.” Once Hrenko-Browning learned of UBTech’s efforts, she wanted to support their mission and encouraged UPA member companies to do the same.
The scholarship that UPA provides covers the cost of hazmat endorsements and removes financial barriers so students can move forward into a new, rewarding and exciting career. To date, 114 students have been helped through this scholarship.
Many UPA members have also jumped onboard by offering their own scholarships and donations in support of the program. Supporting members include: ITL Tankers, Dominion Energy, Uinta Wax, Williams, XCL Resources , Finley, Marathon, IWM (Integrated) and Ovintiv.
As Hrenko-Browning stated earlier in this issue, “Many hands make light work.” How amazing to see UPA members sharing in the work and supporting the growth of our industry through sponsoring technical education.
UBTech is committed to helping the local and business community and only sees these programs becoming more robust. “I meet with our industry partners regularly and they ask us at every meeting, ‘Do you have any drivers?’ We have a waiting list right now for students trying to get into classes up through February. And so there is a huge demand for that. Students want to take this because there are jobs out there, and the jobs pay well,” said Lowry.
It’s clear that specialized CDL drivers are important to the thriving economy, and the shortage has created issues for the industry. Supporting UBTech as they teach the future workers of our industry — workers who are so greatly needed — is a great way to get involved and “fuel Utah’s growth and prosperity.”
To learn more, visit the UBTech website at ubtech.edu.
