WGU Named Exclusive Education Partner of AAWTA
WGU's mission is to change lives for the better by connecting talent with opportunity, and we do that by meeting students where they are in their lives and careers. Chances to learn new skills and take the next step are available to anyone in any career—even on the road.
On Sept. 15 in Stone Mountain, Georgia, the African American Women Trucking Association (AAWTA) announced a collaboration agreement with WGU at its inaugural Building the Future Workforce Summit. The agreement provides a path for AAWTA’s 7,000 members to pursue specific professional certificates from WGU’s School of Business.
Based in Doraville, Georgia, AAWTA focuses on driving positive change and making a significant impact within the trucking industry by empowering members and providing access to resources that can help them succeed in their careers.
This agreement is part of AAWTA’s Driven Together Education Program, a technology-supported initiative designed to help members identify career pathways and connect with education, professional development and workforce opportunities. WGU is the first and exclusive Behind The Desk education partner of AAWTA.
An Evolving Industry
According to the American Trucking Associations, there are 3.58 million truck drivers in the United States. Women in Trucking reports that women make up about 10% of the driver population in small and medium enterprises (500 to 4,999 employees), and 7% of drivers in giant/major enterprises (5,000+ employees).
The trucking, supply chain and logistics industry is seeing an increase in women’s involvement year after year, and AAWTA members include entrepreneurs, business owners, military veterans and more. According to freight industry data, Black women are increasingly entering the field not just as fleet drivers, but also as independent owner-operators, logistics coordinators and freight business owners.
Beyond drivers and mechanics, the trucking industry employs such professionals as freight dispatchers, terminal managers, fleet asset managers, freight brokers, supply chain analysts, sales executives, safety directors, instructors and recruiters.
Opportunities Beyond the Road
The Behind the Desk initiative expands the definition of opportunity within transportation for AAWTA members. It supports individuals preparing to enter the workforce, professionals seeking advancement, entrepreneurs building businesses, and transportation professionals preparing for their next career move.
The partnership provides streamlined membership access to cohort groups in specific professional certificate programs at WGU:
- Entrepreneurship Fundamentals Certificate
- Supply Chain Fundamentals Certificate
- Management Skills for Supervisors Certificate
- Project Management Certificate
The latter three certificates are stackable toward WGU bachelor’s degrees, should the earners decide to further their education.
I was honored to deliver a keynote address at AAWTA’s summit and fielded numerous questions from attendees. For many of them, the opportunity to learn new business skills and earn a professional certificate would have required taking time away from work. But WGU's online courses make it easier for students to study anytime, anywhere.
“We’re focused on evolving beyond a professional association,” said Nicole Ward, president and CEO of AAWTA. “We want to be an organization that is able to provide whatever support and resources our members need, and WGU is helping make that possible.”
In AAWTA’s announcement about the agreement, the organization states, “WGU’s certificate model complements the Driven Together approach by offering focused, career-relevant learning designed around workforce needs. The programs are self-directed and competency-based, allowing learners to progress as they demonstrate mastery.”
Whether through professional certificates, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, or other customizable solutions, learn more about how your organization can partner with WGU to help employees or members upskill and better position themselves for career advancement.
