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The WorldLink Truck Driving Academy is the only Black woman-owned trucking institution in Arkansas. And now, owner Gladys Godley and her husband, Gary, are teaming up with a local HBCU in order to diversify the industry and provide employment opportunities to Black students.
In partnership with the Arkansas Baptist College Adult Education program, the Godleys intend to give students an alternative option to traditional career paths.
“I saw after their first year, a lot of them didn’t actually graduate, so we’re picking up that slack for those who thought they wanted to go to a four-year college or wanted to make that commitment,” said Gladys, a former high school teacher.
According to Education Data, first-time undergraduate college freshmen have a 25 percent dropout rate countrywide, with Arkansas’ dropout numbers being 124 percent higher than the number of undergraduate students in that state. Secondary education institutions across the country have started implementing career days for high school students choosing to bypass traditional higher education paths for trade schools and other alternatives to reduce the stigma associated with them.
Source: Black Enterprise
