Committed to building our diverse workforce
As a school bus company, First Student’s workforce serves some of the most diverse communities across North America. And the racial and gender diversity of our workforce exceeds the US workforce as a whole. However, we know there’s room to grow and more work to be done. The Diversity & Inclusion Council consists of employees from across our organization — including location managers, the First Student presidents, maintenance personnel, human resources leadership, operations managers, and regional vice presidents — that come together to find new and impactful ways to promote diversity and inclusion in all areas of day-to-day work.
10% ↑
Employs women 10 percentage points higher than the national average
2x
Employs African Americans at a rate two times higher than the U.S. average
Top 300
on Forbes Best Employers for Women
Diversity & Inclusion Council mission statement
We aspire to have a culture where all people are First.
- We strive to attract and develop a diverse workforce by promoting teamwork and embracing cultural differences.
- We all play a role in advancing an inclusive environment where everyone is empowered to share their perspectives, listen, and respect others.
- We will achieve this by our leadership fostering a people-focused environment and engaging with our employees, customers, and communities.
- In doing so, we will sustain an inclusive culture that supports future growth and fulfills our social responsibility.
Driving progress and change within the transportation industry
Workforce diversity
US Workforce
Race*
- 77% White
- 12% Black/African-American
- 18% Hispanic
- 6% Asian
Gender
- 53% Men
- 47% Women
First Student Workforce
Race*
- 54% White
- 28% Black/African-American
- 14% Hispanic
- 1% Asian
Gender
- 44% Men
- 56% Women
D&I Subcommittees
Community Involvement
- To celebrate our First Student commitment to diversity and inclusion in the communities we serve. We will achieve positive and measurable outcomes with our customers, passengers, suppliers, and other stakeholders through strategic partnerships.
Development of Talent & Training
- To create a high-performing, sustainable organization that meets its strategic and operational goals and objectives by leveraging diverse talent. We do this by attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining a workforce that is a reflection of the communities we serve.
- Employees are encouraged to take the following courses through our First Student University program:
- Your Role in Workplace Diversity: Becoming a Diversity Advocate
- Bridging the Diversity Gap: Barriers to Diversity
- Understanding Unconscious Bias: Types of Unconscious Bias
Employee Experience & Communication
- To create and sustain a welcoming work environment where everyone can bring their best self to work. We do this through executing a comprehensive communication and engagement strategy that improves the employee experience at every level of the organization.