The first and only graduate of a St. Paul program to help unemployed city residents get truck-driving licenses is neither a city resident nor unemployed.

Ahmed Muhumud, 33, lives in Apple Valley. He works for the city of Minneapolis in its Neighborhood and Community Relations Department, where he earns a $70,400 annual salary.

"I'm not doing this to be a truck driver. I'm doing this as a potential business opportunity," Muhumud said Monday after a heavily attended news conference/celebration in the parking lot of the YWCA of St. Paul at the corner of Selby and Western avenues.

City leaders had touted the program that began last month as a means of getting unemployed residents from the inner-city Promise Neighborhood into good-paying jobs on the Central Corridor light-rail project and get them in line for city jobs in the Public Works Department. In the initial class, four students who weren't city residents got into the program. The mayor's spokesman said the YWCA exclusively funded their training.

Although Muhumud is the only graduate so far, several others are scheduled to take their behind-the-wheel test this week, including Brian Troutman, 52, of St. Paul, who has worked temporary jobs since losing his bank job a couple of years ago. The Public Works Department has job openings for Class B drivers that offer salaries of about $40,000 plus benefits. On the city payroll, 38 job titles require a Class B license and 213 current employees hold them, said Luz Maria Frias, director of the city's Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department, who helped create the program. Class B licenses allow drivers to operate heavy trucks and buses, including snowplows.

The second licensing class of 10 starts Monday. The goal is to graduate 50 St. Paul residents at a cost of approximately $20,000. The city covers $12,000 of that, with the Greater Twin Cities United Way and the YWCA of St. Paul paying the rest. Those taking the class on their own could expect to pay at least $1,100.

From now on, program participants will be required to have addresses in Summit-University and Frogtown neighborhoods in the heart of the city. "It's obviously clear we need to tighten the screening process and we're working with our partners on that," said Richard Carlbom, Mayor Chris Coleman's spokesman. "The overall impact of the program will go far beyond one individual."

The newly announced phase two provides participants with construction and behind-the-wheel training before they take their Class A commercial license test. Participants will have access to a $400,000 federal revolving loan fund, helping to defray equipment expenses associated with becoming an independent operator.

Muhumud, who said he took the class because it was free, said he's hoping to get his Class A license and tap into the loan fund. "If I can get into the business, I might be able to hire a couple of them," he said, nodding to his classmates.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747