After losing his job in the warehousing and logistics field due to budget cuts, Arturo Trejo was ready to transition into a new industry.
Open to opportunities, Trejo enrolled in a Saddleback College program designed to train qualified candidates to work as bus drivers for the Orange County Transportation Authority.
After spending a few months picking up new skills, the Garden Grove resident gained the confidence he needed to apply — and land — a job as a coach operator (bus driver) for OCTA in 2023.
As he nears his first anniversary with the agency, Trejo says he “loves” his new job and is grateful for the opportunity.
“Being behind the wheel all day, interacting with the passengers that I pick up, it’s never a dull moment,” he said.
Trejo is among 138 people who’ve attended the Bus Operator Academy — a partnership between OCTA, Saddleback College and the Orange County Community Foundation — since the first cohort started in 2022, organizers said.
The goal of the free, eight-week course — which recently launched its ninth cohort — is to create a pipeline of trained candidates who are interested in starting careers as bus drivers for OCTA and may be promoted into management roles down the line, organizers said.
With nearly 500 OCTA buses on the road, the organization, like other transportation agencies nationwide, has had some difficulty in maintaining a steady pipeline of qualified bus operators, said OCTA spokesperson Eric Carpenter.
OCTA has been providing local bus service since 1972, he said, and many of its drivers have decades of safe service under their belts.
But as those employees age, are promoted or retire, the agency needs qualified drivers to fill those positions, he said.
“Programs like this help ensure we can encourage and properly train drivers, whether they are just starting their professional careers or transitioning to a new career,” Carpenter said. “Partnering with community colleges such as Saddleback College helps provide a clearer path into becoming a coach operator and, eventually, more transit managers.”
OCCF provided $200,000 in grants to help develop the academy, said Israel Dominguez, director of economic and workforce development for Saddleback College, with the first seed money given in September 2021 and the first cohort initiated in March 2022.
Today, the program provides participants with 40 hours of training, including classroom instruction, soft skills training and behind-the-wheel experience. Topics range from customer service to how to prepare for the state’s commercial driver’s license exam.
Classes are held on Saturdays and are offered free to those 21 or older who’ve held a valid driver’s license for at least three years, Carpenter said.
Participants who finish the course are guaranteed an interview with OCTA, he added.
So far, 92 people have graduated from the academy, Dominguez said, with 38 being hired by OCTA and others going on to work as commercial truck drivers or for transportation organizations.
Dominguez said the program’s student body is close-knit and diverse, with many participants in their late 40s. Some are unemployed or underemployed, he said, while others are seeking a career change as they near retirement age.
Organizers said that while academy graduates may start as bus drivers for OCTA, they may also choose to continue their education while working for the organization or move into other roles within the agency.
About 80% of OCTA’s bus operations managers started out as coach operators, Carpenter said. The academy not only trains new bus drivers but also develops a long-term pathway for those wanting to advance into management, he said.
“This is not just a job; it’s a career,” said Carpenter. “And we hear from many students that they previously worked in jobs that had no benefits or prospect for advancement. The program is positively changing lives.”
Mayra Chavez, donor and community engagement officer for the OCCF, said her group supports the academy as part of its efforts to create pipelines to get more local workers into “middle skills” jobs, positions that may not require a four-year degree but do call for specialized training or certifications that take less time to complete.
Its Workforce Development Initiative has awarded nearly $2.3 million to 14 projects — including the Bus Operator Academy — since its inception in 2019, she said.
“Our mission is to transform our community’s heartfelt intention into greater impact for good,” she said. “And with all of the challenges that we’ve faced in the last few years, workforce development was a key area where we could see our funding being transformative for the county and helping the community get access to more programs that would lead them into middle-skills jobs.”
Looking ahead to the future of the Bus Operator Academy, organizers said steps are being taken to expand its reach.
Chavez said the academy is also being offered at Santa Ana College in addition to Saddleback College during alternating semesters so that the program can serve both north and south Orange County communities.
At Saddleback College, Dominguez said the academy is evolving from a not-for-credit program into a non-credit career development academic program housed under the college’s Automotive Technology program. The program will still be free, he said, and students will be able to enroll in classes beginning in the spring of 2025.
Dominguez said he hopes to continue partnering with OCTA so that students can still use OCTA buses to practice their driving skills on campus, but long term, the goal is for the college to purchase a bus for driving lessons.
“I hope it continues to grow and continues to be popular,” he said.
Trejo counts himself among those whose lives have been changed by the academy.
After spending 18 years working his way up in his original career field, Trejo said it helped him transition into a new industry by teaching him about what to expect during the hiring and interview process and how to prepare for the commercial DMV test.
“It’s been a great experience for me,” he said. “I can say that I love what I do.”
More information can be found on OCTA’s website.
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