Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1060790
entering into this industry, then there has to be a consistent and intentional course of action for them to have positive female role models they can connect with," he says. Dein discovered the nonprofit Women in Trucking, an orga- nization that provides support, resources and networking opportunities. He urged both Barradas and Barfield to attend its "Accelerate!" conference in mid-November and created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for that goal. Any money raised beyond conference expenses will go directly to a col- lege scholarship fund that will be used exclusively for female Patterson High students enrolled in the trucking or Supply Chain and Logistics Management program who want to fur- ther their studies. Says Dein, "My personal goal is for both these young women to find success in the industry where they can come back and be the necessary and needed role models who will inspire a whole new generation of females to carve out their own road in this exciting industry." An exciting, evolving industry "The greatest accomplishment so far is that Patterson High School has proven that a v i abl e, c o st -ef fe ctive trainin g program is possible and can easily be rep- licated in other communities," says Dein. The need is pressing. An American Tr u c k i n g A ss o c i a t i o n stu dy i n 2 0 1 5 highlighted the driver shortage, now estimated to be 50,000 and possibly bal- looning to 174,000 by the year 2026. Dein points out that if programs like the one at Patterson High were created at a county- wide level, many students could partake in the training. With more than 26,000 public high schools across the country, he says, it would only take 10 students from each high school to have a significant impact on the driver shortage. He hastens to add that it's not just about providing skills and knowledge for students to earn their driver's licenses. "It is about providing them with a com- prehensive look into an industry that is currently exploring new technologies, such as hydrogen and electric power - trains and autonomous trucks designed to make trucking safer and more effi- cient," he says. " Th e l ega c y of th e Patt ers on Hi g h truck-driving program is directly related to th e success and accompli shm ents of those who continue to be an active participant in the future of the transpor- tation industry." To that end, he has set up the Faith L o g i st i c s C o l l e g e S c h o l a r s h i p Fu n d through the Patterson Recognizing Indi- viduals Determined to Excel (P.R .I.D.E) organization. e scholarship is available to Patterson High students who graduate from the truck-driving program and want to continue their education in a transpor- tation-related field of study. For more information: sites.google.com/ patterson.k12.ca.us/ truckdrivingschool. " The opportunities from this are huge. We have many good jobs lined up, and free schooling. This gives us the opportunity to have a career." — Steven Smith, Patterson High School student in the truck driving school Cheyenne Barfield stands by one of the big rigs. 51 D E C E M B E R 2 018 / J A N U A R Y 2 019