Truist Foundation Awards $1 Million Grant for Transportation Center

The Truist Foundation has awarded the Trident Technical College Foundation a $1 million grant to support the college’s effort to create the Truist Transportation and Logistics Center on the college’s Berkeley Campus in Moncks Corner.

The transportation center is a major component of the college’s multiphase plan to renovate the aging campus. With the Truist Foundation grant, college funds, $1 million provided by Berkeley County and a private donation of $100,000, the college will be able to move forward on the initial phase of the renovation project and offer commercial driver’s license training on the campus this fall. The college will continue to seek local, state and private funding to complete the full $32 million campus renovation to better serve the training needs of rapidly growing Berkeley County.

“The Truist Transportation and Logistics Center will support the workforce needs of diverse employment sectors, including transportation and air freight providers, warehouse and distribution centers and manufacturing plants by offering CDL training and other transportation-related programs,” said Trident Technical College President Mary Thornley. “The high-tech workforce training facility will serve apprentices and adults seeking new skills and job opportunities, as well as high school graduates and others who are interested in rapid access to employment.”

Truist Market President Mark Lattanzio said the Truist Foundation is grateful to be able to take such a significant leadership role in support of the project. “This is a transformational initiative in the Lowcountry that will create jobs that will be impactful to the maritime, logistics and manufacturing sectors critical to the entire state of South Carolina,” said Lattanzio, speaking on behalf of the Truist Foundation. “Creating the training needed to fill these high-paying jobs will greatly benefit the entire distribution ecosystem and build career pathways to economic mobility among racially and ethnically diverse communities, including people who have lost jobs and do not otherwise have a platform to enter the logistics workforce. This training center will benefit regional economic development, stability of critical infrastructure and supply chain resiliency.”

Trident Tech’s Berkeley Campus opened in 1982 when Berkeley County was much less developed. The campus is now located in one of the fastest-growing areas of the state in terms of both residential and economic development.

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