In Alberta, school buses are driven by mothers of schoolchildren
There is a shortage of bus drivers across the province.
The main problem is that this is a part-time job, and after a long break during the pandemic, many drivers have decided that they need to earn more or retire if age allows. Also, newcomers to this job have to go through three weeks of training.
However, in British Columbia there have been no buses except for special buses for the disabled for 10 weeks now, because the drivers' union and the employer cannot reach a compromise. In Alberta, the situation is not that critical — parents of schoolchildren complain only about the fact that buses are delayed by an hour and a half.
Only one company in northern Alberta has avoided losing staff because it has been hiring women for years and allowing them to carry their own children (but only two). As a result, 75% of Sparksman Transportation's drivers are women with young children. Young mothers are happy with both the part-time work and the opportunity not to spend money on daycare.
To drive school buses in Canada you need a separate-category licence, but it is fairly easy to get one if you already have a licence to drive a passenger car. You also need five years of driving experience and three years of experience working with people.
If such a job sounds appealing to you, read how to exchange your country's driver's license for a Canadian driver's license.
