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Franklin County approves $1.1 million award for commercial driver training program
Summary
The Board approved a $1.1 million agreement with Roads to Work Inc. to expand CDL training for underserved residents, aiming to enroll 125 people and target an 80% employment rate for graduates; the program director and the provider warned federal immigration rules limit eligibility for some participants.
Franklin County commissioners on July 7 approved a $1,100,000 subaward to Roads to Work Inc. to operate a commercial driver training program designed to prepare underserved residents for Class A commercial‑driver jobs.
Carmen Barnes, chief operating officer for Job and Family Services, told the board the program has trained more than 500 county residents and under the new award plans to enroll about 125 participants. "We anticipate 80 percent of the graduates will obtain their CDL and employment," Barnes said, describing the award as a pathway to sustainable careers in transportation and logistics.
Richard Crockett, introduced as president and CEO of Roads to Work Inc., thanked the commissioners for continued support and raised a policy concern: he said a national executive‑order change has limited CDL training eligibility for some nondomicile immigrants, which "has had a tremendous impact on the immigrant community" and could narrow access for prospective trainees.
The resolution (47226) was moved for approval by the meeting mover and seconded; the clerk recorded unanimous votes of approval by Commissioner Crawley, Commissioner Boyce and Commissioner O'Grady, and the board adopted the measure.
The award will fund industry‑focused career readiness, CDL skills training, supportive services and employer engagement activities aimed at immediate employment after training. The agreement and program targets were described at the meeting; additional implementation details (such as specific hiring partners and a timeline for the first cohort) were not specified during the session.
