On The Move
G&P Trucking registers first federally-recognized truck driver apprenticeship program in the state
Feb 1, 2010
GASTON, SC - February 1, 2010 - G&P Trucking continues its quality tradition by establishing the first federally-recognized truck driver apprenticeship programs in the state. Apprenticeship Carolina™, a division of the South Carolina Technical College System, is pleased to announce that G&P Trucking is sponsoring a federally-recognized apprenticeship program for Truck Drivers. The programs will consist of on-the job training as well as job related education.
“Continuous improvement is the cornerstone of our operations at G&P Trucking. We are constantly looking for ways to enhance key measures, such as quality, safety and customer service,” said John Billingsley, director of safety at G&P Trucking. “Apprenticeship is a natural fit providing us a means to further develop the skills of our dedicated, hard-working team. At the end of the day, our people set us apart from our competition and the apprenticeship program lets us build on that competitive advantage.”
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College will be providing the job related education for G&P Trucking. “We are proud to announce that a local Calhoun County company, G&P Trucking, has developed the state’s “first” truck driver apprenticeship program in collaboration with Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. The insightfulness of G&P’s recruiter, Roger Griggs, has led the company to realize the tremendous need for truck drivers cannot be filled by just recruiting experienced drivers. They have developed an in-house training program, in order to hire new drivers and we are proud to partner with them.” said Dr. Anne Crook president of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
An apprenticeship is a time-tested method of employee career development that combines supervised on-the-job learning and job-related education. A program “registered” with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) shows an employer’s visible commitment to developing a high-quality workforce that meets nationally recognized training standards. Registered apprenticeship programs also enable employees to receive incremental wage increases as they demonstrate new competencies throughout the training program G&P Trucking’s apprenticeship program will train participants on the job for one year.
“The effectiveness of apprenticeship as a career development tool is becoming quite clear in South Carolina as Apprenticeship Carolina™ continues to average at least one federally registered program per week,” said Ann Marie Stieritz, director of Apprenticeship Carolina™. “As more organizations across the state begin to realize the benefits of registered apprenticeships, Apprenticeship Carolina™ and the technical colleges of South Carolina look forward to working with them to provide the necessary assistance and training.”
For more information about this partnership and how to participate in the program, contact OC Tech’s Career Training & Development office at 803.535.1236.
G&P Trucking Company
G&P Trucking Company’s core competency is truckload freight. That is the backbone of our business, and it provides the strength upon which we founded our company nearly seventy years ago. But we go beyond the basics. Additional services include intermodal shipping, expedited delivery, dedicated routes, warehousing, transloading, third party logistics and brokerage. Our strategy revolves around a focused approach to serve specific customers requiring exceptional service to target markets. This allows us to provide outstanding service to our customers and to be a preferred place to work for professional truck drivers. G&P maintains a strong commitment to a continually improving quality process, allowing us to consistently provide the best service to our customers. We are very concerned for the safety of our drivers, our customers' cargo, and the community in general. As such, we operate a modern fleet of well-maintained day cabs and sleepers to help us meet and exceed our safety and service goals.
Apprenticeship Carolina™
Apprenticeship Carolina™ is a new division of the South Carolina Technical College System that works to ensure all employers in South Carolina have access to the information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship consultants are available to guide companies through the registered apprenticeship development process from initial information to full recognition in the National Registered Apprenticeship System. These services are available to South Carolina employers free of charge. Interested employers are encouraged to contact Apprenticeship Carolina™ at (803) 896-5287 or to visit www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com.
