Stark State College, City of Akron Announce New Location forTruck Driving Training
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of Ellen Lander Nischt, Press Secretary
Published: 07-23-2019
Akron, Ohio, July 23, 2019 – Stark State College and the City of Akron are announcing a new location for the College’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) training facility. The new location at 2270 Picton Parkway, is in a Joint Economic Development District with the City of Akron and Springfield Township.
The facility – slated to include a modular classroom building, storage and paved training range – was originally slated to be constructed at the Akron Executive Airport in early 2019. Due to timing issues, and the critical workforce need for CDL drivers and the strong earning potential for graduates of the program, the College and City decided to move forward with the new location.
“The employer demand for CDL drivers is unprecedented,” said Para M. Jones, PhD, president of Stark State College, “and as the community college for this region, it is our responsibility to be responsive to workforce need and to offer this high-demand program to our students as soon as possible.”
Akron City Council approved the lease-purchase agreement for the six-acre property during its July 22 meeting. Stark State will lease the land, valued at approximately $25,000 per acre, for six years. The property will then transfer from the City to the College, with additional purchase terms through 2034. The lease and purchase payments will be made through tuition credits awarded to the City for distribution to its employees.
“This is truly a win-win partnership between the City and Stark State,” said Mayor Dan Horrigan, “It will provide a convenient site for Stark State to deliver local CDL training at the lowest ongoing cost and enable the City to offer an important educational benefit to our employees to build their professional skills.”
The College and the City are working together to facilitate the CDL facility’s construction with the goal of opening for classes this fall.
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For further information, contact:
Marisa R Rohn
Vice President of Advancement, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships, Stark State
Phone: 330-494-6170 ext. 4275
E-mail: [email protected]
