Hampton Roads hiring push

Hampton Roads Transit is holding a hiring fair in Hampton on Friday, April 24, as it recruits bus operators and mechanics for frontline jobs. (gohrt.com) The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3400 Victoria Boulevard in Hampton, and the agency says applicants can get screening and interviews on the spot. The page title says “April 2024,” but the posting itself lists Friday, April 24, 2026, twice. (gohrt.com) Hampton Roads Transit says it is hiring full-time and part-time bus operator trainees at $22 an hour and Mechanic III workers at $27 an hour. The agency says the openings are in Hampton and Norfolk. (gohrt.com) The April 24 fair is part of a larger 2026 recruiting schedule that Hampton Roads Transit published on January 5. That list included eight fairs from January through June, with the April date set aside for Hampton and the others mostly in Norfolk. (gohrt.com) The agency’s careers page says it offers paid training, Commercial Driver’s License permit preparation, guaranteed 40 hours for operators, overtime opportunities, step increases and positions in both Hampton and Norfolk. Hampton Roads Transit also says background checks and drug tests are required for all positions. (gohrt.com) Hampton Roads Transit has tied hiring directly to service levels before. In September 2023, President and Chief Executive Officer William Harrell said the agency’s expansion plans were contingent on adding operators and mechanics, and Hampton Roads Transit said it had added 156 full-time bus operators in fiscal year 2023. (gohrt.com) The hiring push comes as the agency’s latest budget and performance materials put workforce recruitment alongside ridership growth and long-term funding. The fiscal year 2026 budget says Hampton Roads Transit wants to be an “employer of choice,” and its ridership dashboard shows 680,384 trips in January 2026 and 639,904 in February 2026. (gohrt.com 1) (gohrt.com 2) For riders, the practical question is whether Hampton Roads Transit can keep enough operators and mechanics in place to run buses, light rail and ferry service across the region. For job seekers, the next date on the calendar is April 24 in Hampton, even if the webpage slug still says 2024. (gohrt.com)