Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez has warned that schools in the city may not provide bus transportation next school year due to a shortage of school bus and truck drivers.
A report by La Nación indicates that state authorities in the entity are launching measures to encourage the entry of Spanish-speaking workers into a key sector for education in Chicago and other large cities in that jurisdiction, which remains in crisis due to a shortage of certain workers, such as school bus drivers.
Illinois is among the places with the most Hispanics in the US, so the initiative could benefit workers of this origin.
Cities with the most Hispanics or Latinos in the United States:
· Los Angeles, California: 5.9 million
· New York: 5.1 million
· Miami, Florida: 2.8 million
· Houston, Texas: 2.8 million
· Riverside, California: 2.5 million
· Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas: 2.3 million
· Chicago, Illinois: 2.2 million
Hispanics and Latinos living in these states can fill the gap in these key sectors and will also receive assistance to do so.
Many families and students rely on the yellow bus service to get to school every day, so yellow bus drivers play a vital part in the education system.
Faced with this fact, local authorities are seeking alternatives to partially solve the deficiency, such as enabling the option of taking the written exam in Spanish to obtain the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), necessary to drive this type of vehicle. Thus, the state joins a group of more than 20 entities that offer this option.
The measure is intended to facilitate accessibility to the CDL, as people who do not speak English as their primary language will be able to understand the technical information requested. However, the content of the test will remain the same and the decision does not modify the standards or requirements.
Requirements to obtain a CDL in Illinois:
· Have US citizenship
· Have legal permanent residence
· Being a non-domiciled driver
Applicants must also pass a health exam, and although the written test can be in Spanish, those interested in applying for a CDL will have to complete the practical exam and pre-trip inspection in English.
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