Kawerak offers CDL scholarships for Bering Strait Tribal members

Kawerak is offering scholarships covering meals, travel, and lodging for eligible regional Tribal members to complete commercial driver training in Palmer, with applications due June 24.

The four-week Class A CDL program runs July 13 through August 6 at Northern Industrial Training in Palmer. Training seats are limited. Applicants should see the application for additional information and requirements.

Applicants must have held a valid Alaska driver's license for at least one year before the July start date. Applications are available online at kawerak.org/training, with a deadline of 8:00 a.m. AKDT on Wednesday, June 24.

The Alaska State Legislature has invested in CDL training infrastructure across the state. State Senator Bert Stedman said the legislature is "spreading it out around the state, trying to give as many of the young Alaskans opportunity as absolutely possible" when discussing $3 million for construction of a commercial driver's license and construction driving training center in Wasilla, along with millions more for equipment upgrades at training centers in Seward, Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula.

Bristol Bay Native Corporation ran a similar CDL training partnership with Northern Industrial Training earlier this year, offering a four-week session in Palmer from February 16 to March 12.

Kawerak is the regional Native nonprofit corporation serving the Bering Strait region, providing education, employment, and workforce development services to Tribal members.