Human resources

Education and training at Strætó are key factors in ensuring safety, professionalism, and high-quality service. Through targeted training, knowledge and skills are strengthened, contributing to increased safety, job satisfaction, and performance. Our goal is to create a workplace where everyone can develop their skills and actively participate in operations, regardless of background.

Through strong education, we aim to maintain and enhance safety in our operations, support our employees, and ensure that working at Strætó is value-adding for employees as well as the company. At the same time, our objective is to create an attractive workplace where diversity, inclusion, and professional collaboration are always a priority.

Training needs are assessed annually and are based on the company’s strategy, the results of employee surveys, passenger feedback, as well as current priorities within the company. This assessment shapes the annual training plan and ensures that the training is targeted and aligned with the needs of employees and the operation.

Strætó also works to ensure that education and training extend to the operators that provide driving services on behalf of the company. This contributes to a consistent level of service, increased competence, and shared standards of professionalism, regardless of who operates the services.

Our goal is for all passengers to experience safety, good service, and a positive travel experience when using Strætó.

Below are Strætó’s main focuses of education and training efforts.

Strætó places strong emphasis on supporting Icelandic language learning for employees of foreign origin. All employees have access to Bara tala, an app focused on spoken language, where users can learn and practice Icelandic pronunciation in situations related to both work and everyday life.

In addition, Strætó encourages employees to attend Icelandic language courses outside working hours when possible. Flexible shift arrangements are offered to facilitate participation and to support employees’ goals of developing their skills.

All Strætó bus drivers participate in regular retraining in accordance with the Icelandic Transport Authority’s curriculum for professional drivers. The curriculum requires drivers to complete 35 hours of continuing education every five years, which is a condition for maintaining their driving licence.

The retraining aims to:

• maintain and enhance driving safety
• strengthen professional competence
• ensure good service and a positive passenger experience
• increase preventive awareness and the ability to respond to unexpected situations
• support drivers in complying with laws and regulations governing professional driving

According to the curriculum, confirmed on 3 February 2025, retraining for professional drivers is based on three main pillars: environment, laws and regulations, and safety.

Strætó offers its drivers a wide range of courses in line with these requirements and places strong emphasis on professionalism and continuous education. Through regular training, we ensure professional competence, safety, and reliable service.

Strætó places great emphasis on welcoming new employees effectively. Onboarding and initial training are therefore an important part of strengthening workplace safety and performance, while also contributing to a positive employee experience from the very first day.

All new employees at Strætó receive education and training tailored to their roles and responsibilities. This ensures that employees receive the necessary guidance and support to work safely and professionally.

New bus drivers at Strætó also receive guidance from experienced mentors, with a strong focus on practical training, safety, and passenger service. In this way, we ensure that no driver enters traffic on our behalf without having received adequate training that meets requirements for safety and professionalism.

Strætó places strong emphasis on providing passengers with reliable and positive service and has therefore conducted customer training courses for bus drivers and employees of the customer service centre.

The courses focus on professional communication, solution-oriented approaches, safety, and how best to create a positive passenger experience in a wide range of situations.

The aim of the service training courses is to raise service standards, strengthen understanding towards all our passengers, improve communication skills, enhance safety, and align working practices that reflect Strætó’s values: cooperation, reliability, and driving force.

Strætó is currently leading the second phase of an international project focused on education and training in public transport. The aim of the project is to strengthen drivers’ ability to handle challenging situations in their daily work.

The project has developed training, using a variety of teaching methods, including E-learning, group work, and workshops. In addition, part of the training material has been developed using VR, providing participants with deeper insight into the subject matter and opportunities to practice knowledge and responses in realistic scenarios.

In the current phase of the project, particular emphasis is placed on diversity and inclusion as a foundation for good service, passenger accessibility, and employee wellbeing. By strengthening understanding and communication skills, the project contributes to a safer, more humane, and more professional working environment in public transport.

Competence+ is funded by the European Union and includes participants from Iceland, which leads the project, as well as Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Cyprus, Croatia, and Spain.