LTD Launches Oregon’s First Bus Operator Apprenticeship Program
Lane Transit District (LTD) has welcomed eight new bus operators to the team. They graduated on March 20.
With these eight graduates, LTD now employs 200 bus operators. The newest hires are the inaugural members of LTD’s Bus Operator Apprenticeship program, the very first in the state of Oregon. Certified by the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries , the program pairs the apprentices with trained mentors. These peer mentors will play a vital role in helping LTD’s new operators adjust to the significant demands of the job. For the apprentices’ first 18 months at LTD, mentors will offer guidance, feedback, and provide practical advice on everything from handling tough situations to navigating the daily life of a bus operator.
“Our first-in-Oregon apprenticeship program empowers new operators to make a lasting impact from day one,” said Bill Bradley, LTD’s Labor Relations Manager. “These graduates are the future of LTD and through the guidance of their mentors, they become the face of transit’s role as the essential thread that binds our community, providing the reliable service that keeps Lane County moving forward.”
LTD’s bus operator training program is nine weeks. The curriculum is taught in the classroom and behind the wheel to teach candidates about customer service, laws governing bus operations, LTD operations, and how to operate the District’s 40- and 60-foot fixed-route buses, as well as its EmX buses that serve the bus rapid transit routes.
LTD’s next Bus Operator Apprenticeship training course begins July 20, 2026. Apply online.
