School transportation provider First Student, one of the country's largest contractor fleets, is hosting its first-ever National Hiring Week, July 10-16, with a goal of employing 8,000 school bus drivers in the United States and Canada.

School Bus Driver Hiring Blitz Opportunities

The coordinated effort will take place throughout the company's 545 locations across North America, with opportunities such as:

• Walk-in job fairs.

• On-the-spot interviews and job offers to qualified candidates.

• Open houses.

• Stuff-the-bus clothing, food, and school supply drives for charity.

• Big Bus No Big Deal school bus test drive days.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to follow First Student on Facebook and visit workatfirst.com to review current job openings.

The hiring blitz festivities will culminate on July 16 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, the city where First Student is headquartered. Forty-year veteran school bus driver, Rick White from the company's Princeton City Schools location, will throw out the first pitch of the Cincinnati Reds baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Children attending the game will receive a Reds sticker sheet sponsored by First Student.

Considering a Career Aboard the School Bus?

School bus drivers receive perks including on-the-job training, a competitive wage, and physical and mental health initiatives. Drivers are off evenings and weekends and get school holidays and summers off too. Some locations also offer a sign-on bonus, child ride-along program, paid CDL training, and guaranteed hours.

"At First Student, I had the freedom between runs to do what I needed to do, like volunteer at my children's school, workout at the gym or clean my house," First Student Location Safety Manager Doris Urban said. "My route has taken me on a wonderful career journey from school bus driver to school bus trainer to location safety manager."

Driving a school bus can be an ideal career for anyone wanting a part-time opportunity and individuals who want to make a positive impact in their community. Many drivers are retirees, stay-at-home parents, grandparents, military spouses, firefighters, and others with varied backgrounds too numerous to list. 

"Our drivers, monitors, dispatchers, location managers, mechanics, safety trainers, and staff are the best of the best," said First Student Chief Operating Officer Dean Suhre. "With a focus on safety, while fostering teamwork, our First Student team cares for our students and repeatedly goes above and beyond to surpass our customer expectations in all that they do. We look forward to growing the First Student family during National Hiring Week."