Start Your New Career in Months, Not Years
Advanced Career Institute has been family-owned and operated since 1986, offering short-term CDL, welding, and IT certification programs that get students working in months. No bachelor’s degree required, and financial aid available for students who qualify.
The video below shows what a typical training day looks like at ACI’s campuses. From CDL driving range to the welding bays in Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield.
ACI offers part-time and full-time scheduling at all campuses, with morning, daytime, evening, and night sessions available for welding students. CDL training runs at the Fresno, Visalia, Merced, and Las Vegas campuses. Welding is offered in Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield. The IT Professional program is fully online and available to California residents. Each program is built around the credentials and skills employers in trucking, welding, and IT support actually hire for.
Find the Right Career Path – Trucking, Welding or IT Work
Choosing between CDL driver training, welding school, and IT certification comes down to a few practical questions: how long is the program, what credential does it produce, and what do graduates earn? ACI’s CDL programs run 4 to 20 weeks depending on the track. The welding program is 38 weeks. The IT Professional program is 32 weeks full-time or 48 weeks part-time. Each program page covers the full details — curriculum, schedule options, campuses, and what graduates go on to do.
ACI Training Programs: CDL, Welding, and IT
Class A CDL Training
ACI has been training truck drivers since 1986, and the Class A CDL program is built around the skills employers actually test for:
- Pre-trip inspection
- Vehicle control
- Shifting
- Backing
- On-road driving
ACI offers two CDL tracks: the Professional Truck Driver program (4 weeks, 160 clock hours) and the Advanced Professional Truck Driver program (6 weeks, 240 clock hours). Both tracks meet federal Entry-Level Driver Training certification requirements. ACI also offers the agriculture transportation program (20 weeks, 600 clock hours) for students pursuing specialized hauling work in the San Joaquin Valley. In 2024, Heavy truck drivers averaged $57,440 a year and were projected to have a possible 240,300 projected annual job openings through 2033 according to the BLS. CDL programs are available at the Fresno, Visalia, Merced, and Las Vegas campuses.
ACI also offers a 3-week refresher course (120 clock hours) for students who already hold a commercial learner’s permit and need additional behind-the-wheel practice before their skills test.
Discover our CDL Training Program Options →
Welder School
ACI’s welding program covers shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), MIG (GMAW), flux-core arc welding (FCAW), and oxy-acetylene cutting and brazing across 760 clock hours (38 weeks). The curriculum is recognized by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), and graduates are prepared to sit for American Welding Society (AWS) performance qualification tests. No prior experience is required to enroll. Welders earned a median $51,000/year as of May 2024 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). Graduates qualify for entry-level fabrication, maintenance, and field welding roles. Morning, daytime, evening, and night sessions are available at the Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield campuses.
Learn More About our Welding Program →
IT Professional Training
ACI’s IT Professional program covers software applications, hardware troubleshooting, network security, cloud computing, and cybersecurity through a fully online curriculum delivered in partnership with CompTIA. Students can complete training in 32 weeks full-time or 48 weeks part-time. Graduates are prepared to sit for CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and Cloud+ certification exams — industry-recognized credentials for entry-level IT support and help desk roles. Computer user support specialists earned a median $60,340/year as of May 2024 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). The program is available to California residents.
