The most recent ADTEC training initiative in support of Transportation Technology is the Arkansas Delta Transportation Education Project (ADTEP). Funding from the U.S. Department of Labor totaling $4,326,254 provides regional capacity to deploy career pathways in diesel and automotive technology, with a focus on alternative fuel and hybrid vehicle technologies. This initiative also partners with Montana State University-Northern to bring the Bachelor of Science Degree in Diesel Technology to eastern Arkansas.
Previous funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor, combined at $568,383, supported the development of career pathways in distribution and logistics and in diesel technology. This development helped to create the foundation for a focus on diesel/biodiesel and the concept of a regional Transportation Technology Center, which has subsequently evolved into the Marion Berry Renewable Energy Center on the MSCC campus.
One of the first grant-funded ADTEC transportation projects included Mid-South Community College and Arkansas State University-Newport. The U.S. Department of Labor funded $1,350,606 for the creation of a model rapid-response program to train heavy truck drivers, incorporating state-of-the-art simulation training, a truck driver apprenticeship program, and Standard Operating Procedures for disaster recovery scenarios.
