Nobina recruiting 100 bus drivers every year

Every day, Skaraborg’s buses cover a distance equivalent to a trip around the world. The company that serves Skaraborg is called Nobina and its more than 400 bus drivers make commuting between the municipalities in Skaraborg easy.

“Driving a bus means meeting lots of people, which I think is fun! I enjoy being close to the water in Lidköping. In my spare time, there’s nothing better than a trip in my boat on Lake Vänern,” says bus driver Thomas Sundblad. 

Västtrafik is responsible for public transit in Västra Götaland, and thus also in Skaraborg. Here, its blue buses are operated by Nobina. Nobina has 13 depots in Skaraborg from which its buses and drivers depart. The biggest are in Skövde and Lidköping.

Big need of bus drivers

Because many Nobina bus drivers will be retiring over the next few years, the company will have to recruit 100 bus drivers every year, with about 60 of the positions being full-time.

“Bus drivers enjoy good starting pay and a short training time. We conduct our own training, which takes between 4 and 5 months. As individuals, it’s important that drivers are social and enjoy meeting people. Furthermore, they should naturally have driven a lot, enjoy being in traffic and have held a driver license for at least two or three years,” says Conny Ohlsson, recruitment manager at Nobina in Skaraborg. 

Bus drivers enjoy a varied working day, but they must be prepared to work the irregular hours the job demands. Schedules differ depending on whether they drive a city bus, rural bus or a combination. This can be challenging, but some drivers prefer not to work the same hours every day.

“The variety is the best thing about driving a bus; no two days or weeks are the same. I love living in Skaraborg, it has everything I need,” says bus driver Joakim Bratt.

In addition to bus drivers, Nobina is also regularly on the lookout for mechanics and vehicle attendants, who clean the buses and perform safety checks.

At Nobina, it’s common that applicants have moved to Skaraborg. The company has employees from all over Sweden as well as citizens from our Nordic neighbors and other EU countries.

“People who move here from abroad say that it’s Skaraborg’s natural beauty that attracted them, except in cases where it was love,” concludes Conny Ohlsson.