Only six per cent of OC Transpo applicants advance to bus driver training, statistics show
OC Transpo is looking to hire hundreds of new operators this year for buses and the O-Train, but new statistics show only a small number of applicants are advancing to the training portion of the recruitment program.
A staffing shortage resulted in hundreds of bus trip cancellations on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, and the transit service warns more trip cancellations are possible next week.
OC Transpo has set a goal of hiring up to 300 new operators this year to meet current needs and prepare for future requirements, including the launch of Stage 2 of the light rail transit project. The new hires include 80 bus drivers to meet Canada Labour Code requirements for 30-minute breaks and 84 operators to cover retirements and attrition.
Earlier this year, OC Transpo launched a "robust recruitment campaign," according to OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar.
"We have seen a strong interest in our recruitment efforts to date. We have thorough and stringent processes in place to ensure we hire the best candidates for this safety-critical position."
In a memo to council and the media on Friday, Amilcar said OC Transpo has received applications from 2,833 applicants since the start of the year. However, only six per cent of the applicants have advanced to the training portion of the recruitment program.
There are 10 stages in the recruitment process, with offers of employment offered after an applicant completes all 10 steps. Here is a look at the Bus Operator Recruitment data from OC Transpo.
- Number of applicants: 2,833
- Qualified applicants screened in: 1,811
- Number of applicants passed online assessment: 1,045
- Number of applicants passed written assessments: 575
- Number of applicants passed interview: 304
- Number of applicants passed driving assessment: 197
- Number of applicants passed reference checks/document submission: 176 (Applicants who moved into the training portion of the program)
The statistics show that 34 of the applicants left the training portion of the program.
"To date, we have already hired 58 new bus operators who started earlier this spring and summer. Customers can expect service reliability to increase mid-August, when a group of 32 new bus operator trainees graduate," Amilcar said.
"We are continuing our recruitment and training sessions this fall, and additional new operators will begin in early October."
The "Drive with Us" recruitment campaign says bus operators receive excellent benefits for themselves and their families, flexible work options and a comprehensive pension plan. Bus operator positions are full-time permanent positions, with a full-time wage rate after 24 months of service of $33.086 an hour.
According to the OC Transpo bus operator job posting, bus operators work an average of 40 hours per week, with seven and a half hour shifts.
Amilcar says OC Transpo is making "every effort to improve service reliability for the balance of August and to prepare for September."
The head of the transit service acknowledges Ottawa and Canada are facing a labour shortage, "and we are doing everything we can to increase our staffing compliment."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.