School bus company looking to hire up to 100 Hamilton drivers before the fall

A school bus company serving Hamilton students is looking to hire between 80 and 100 drivers before school starts in the fall.

In a July 22 release, First Student announced it would be expanding its operations" in Hamilton after being awarded a contract for nearly 160 routes serving about 35 public and Catholic schools in the Ancaster and Mountain areas.

Once we learned that we grew to 159 routes for the Hamilton boards we started ... buying buses and started recruiting our teams and getting ready for this September," said Peter McGlynn, general manager for the area.

In an email to The Spectator, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board spokesperson Shawn McKillop said First Student previously operated 27 accessible wheelchair vehicles in central Hamilton. This year, they will operate a mix of big buses, minibuses and accessible vehicles.

The bus company, the largest student transportation provider in North America, is offering incentives to attract local bus drivers - a sector that has faced shortages for years.

Bus drivers are guaranteed a minimum hourly wage of $19 - up from $17.50 the previous year - but can make up to $25. The company is offering a $3,500 signing bonus to the first 35 experienced bus drivers. Those who need to upgrade to a B' licence - a special designation for school bus drivers - will receive training and a $2,500 bonus.

First Student has ordered new state-of-the-art" buses, equipped with GPS, tablets with turn-by-turn directions and popular" heated driver seats, McGlynn said.

We look forward to providing safe and reliable school transportation to more families in these communities," he said.

Those interested can apply online at workatfirst.com.

Kate McCullough is a Hamilton-based reporter covering education at The Spectator. Reach her via email: kmccullough@thespec.com