– It will be very fun to get started and try to drive yourself, says Andreas Bjørklund. He sits alone in the back of a training bus on Os and watches as Leo Brkics in the class above drives a sensor. In the autumn, Bjørklund will be the only one sitting behind the wheel of a bus in a class of 15. The rest will drive heavy transport. – Trucks may be seen as a little cooler than buses, says Bjørklund. This scene is part of a national trend: At six of eleven national lines, where professional driver students drive up, there are no applicants who want to drive a bus, recent figures from schools show. There is a deterioration of already low application numbers in recent years. – It is unfortunate that this type of job is not more attractive to young people, because that is probably where the problem lies, says national line coordinator for the professional driver profession Erik Lysenstøen. EXCITED: Andreas Bjørklund is looking forward to it being his turn to take over the wheel of the teaching bus. Leo Brkics (left) will be out in the classroom in a few weeks. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen – Disaster for the industry news has previously mentioned that every third Norwegian bus driver is over 60 years old and that staffing challenges have worsened after the pandemic. According to NHO Transport, Norway must recruit 1,000 new bus drivers a year until 2030. The Professional Traffic Association believes that number could be twice as high. The low recruitment trend does not seem to be reversing. On the contrary, according to the 11 upper secondary schools that offer professional driver education in Norway. So many professional driver students have applied for a bus this autumn Solør High school: 0/30 Hønefoss high school 3/30 students Notodden high school.0 / 30 students Sam Eyde high school 3/30 students Sauda high school. 0/30 students, Os vgs. 4/30 students Sogndal high school.0 / 30 students Kristiansund high school 0/30 students, Ole Vig high school. 6/30 students. Hadsel vgs. 0/30 pupils Alta high school.2 / 40 pupils These schools receive operating grants for: Solør, Notodden, Sauda, Sogndal, Kristiansund and Hadsel upper secondary schools have no bus applicants this autumn. This is a deterioration from an average of 2-3 a year. Håkon Kjernlie is head of department at Solør upper secondary school in Innlandet county municipality Photo: Private – It is a complete disaster for the industry. Usually we have four or five applicants a year and we have no idea why there are none this year, says department head at Solør Vgs Håkon Kjernlie. Nobody wants to drive a bus When news visited Bjørklund’s class in mid-June, the mood was that there were only a few days left until the summer holidays. In August, the students are separated. Bjørklund will drive up alone. The other 14 will continue together on heavy transport. – I personally could never have been a bus driver and driven the same route every day. I think that would have been too boring for me. I want more freedom to drive around the country and at various times, says Bjørn Willi Endeve who wants to drive asphalt after school. Nikolai Helland wants to follow in his father’s footsteps: – I was with him a lot in the car when I was younger and opened my eyes to the profession, he says. HEAVY TRANSPORT: Maren Amanda Minde, Nikolai Helland and Bjørn Willi Endeve (right) will all drive trucks. Photo: news Vestland – Is there a downside to choosing a bus? – No, but maybe people think there are slightly better opportunities for them as truck drivers in terms of working conditions and wages, says Maren Amanda Minde. She herself emphasizes responsibility, as one of the reasons why she chose a truck over a bus. – If I have to brake abruptly with a full trailer of soda, I might ruin a pallet or two. But if you brake abruptly with a bus, it can affect people. I do not want that responsibility, says Minde. – What do you think about the great responsibility, Bjørklund? – There is something to think about. But if I drive carefully and calmly, it will probably go well, says the bus driver. DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE A BUS: The students in the VG2 class at Os list, among other things, salary, working conditions, freedom and responsibility as the reasons why they do not want to drive a bus. Photo: news Vestland Special places for retraining of adults The national trend with low application numbers has one exception, but it has nothing to do with young people. The solution at Ole Vig Vgs in Stjørdalen in Trøndelag has been to recruit adult bus seekers to special places. It has borne fruit, says department head Ragnhild Moe. – We have had 19 bus apprentices in the last year and a half. Without the adults, we would only have had five. This is a targeted measure where many go in the same direction. Then there will be results, she says. Vestland County Municipality has also recently decided to follow suit and create 12 extra places. SUCCESS IN STJØRDAL: By admitting adult applicants to special places in upper secondary school, Ole Vig Vgs has gained almost four times as many bus students. Photo: Private Despite good intentions, there is still a long way to go, says researcher Jørgen Aarhaug at the Department of Transport Economics. He fears for the route offer. – The number of places in vocational subjects on buses is far lower than the number of new bus drivers Norway needs each year. The Ministry of Education and Research states that adults who want to take a bus can apply for a loan from Lånekassen and take the education privately. However, it is much more expensive than the upper secondary education which is around 1800 kroner. The bus ticket alone is between 80-100,000 kroner. In addition, the basic education of 140 hours is additional. Researcher Jørgen Aarhaug at the Department of Transport Economics. Photo: Department of Transport Economics – Everyone knows that there is a need for more bus drivers: The bus companies, the county municipalities, the educational institutions, but there is no good solution for where the bill should be placed: Who should pay for the bus drivers? Ask Aarhaug. Will help people in everyday life So far, Bjørklund is one of the few future bus drivers Norway desperately needs. Despite concerns from industry and fellow students, he is motivated: He thinks it is nice to be able to drive near where he lives. That he comes home every day and does not have to sleep on the road is also a plus. – What do you think is the best thing about the bus profession? – It is enough to help people from a to b. Help people in everyday life, says the 18-year-old and smiles. WANTS TO HELP: Andreas Bjørklund’s motivation to become a bus driver is to help people in everyday life, he says. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen
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Andreas (18) is the only one in the driver class who wants to drive a bus – news Vestland
