Orange County Register
by Theresa Cisneros
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.
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.
