Transportation Institute

DMACC Transportation Institute:

Evolving to Meet the Needs of Students and Industry

Opened in 1988, the DMACC Transportation Institute was founded in response to the needs of the transportation industry for quality education, training, and retraining. In the more than 35 years since, thousands of transportation professionals have gotten their start at DMACC. In order to continue to meet the needs of our rapidly growing Transportation career pathways, we are partnering with individuals and corporate donors to fund approximately half of a planned $9 million expansion of our Transportation Institute.

Trained truck drivers are in extremely high demand and our graduates are finding themselves more valued than ever in this competitive job market. Recruiters from both local and over the road companies visit our facility weekly, and many students obtain jobs even before they graduate. Statewide, there are a reported 6,190 job openings per year, with the occupation projected to grow 1.2% annually. With growth in industry demand has come a surge in enrollment. Student numbers increased by 63% from 123 in 2021 to 200 in 2022. The program recently expanding its course offerings and the projected enrollment for 2023 is 250 students—which reaches the capacity we can accommodate on the current campus. Even though the current concourse is 10 acres, only 5-6 acres can be considered usable space. Much of the space includes cracked concrete, potholes, and beams protruding from the ground. With the extensive damage, along with drainage issues, the space can accommodate only three working skills ranges which limit the number of practical offerings for our students.

Our Vision

Our ambitious vision for the Transportation Institute is developed with an eye toward ensuring we can continue to supply the critical industry partners with skilled professionals. Our new facility will bring together classroom, lab and skill-building spaces to provide an authentic environment for students to gain the knowledge, tools, and practical experience necessary to be successful in the transportation industry. Specifically, funds will be used to:

• Construct a new facility that will include classroom and garage space under one roof.
• Increase space and improve configuration to accommodate increased enrollment.
• Expand range space that offers students practical experience and allows DMACC to serve the needs of local businesses by offering DOT testing.
• Increase accessibility and address current safety hazards on the site.

Updating the entire campus will alleviate the current safety issues and allow DMACC to double the number of students served at the Transportation Institute. That’s a win-win offering a career path for those with an interest in the transportation field and a trained pool of professionals for businesses in need. In addition, the expansion would offer the range capacity necessary to expand our partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation in offering Third Party CDL Skills testing in service of businesses across the state.

Make a Gift

By giving to this campaign, you are supporting students as they gain the knowledge and skills necessary to find success in the transportation industry. Yes, I want to support future truck drivers!