GWR - Trainee Train Driver (Talent Pool) - Bristol/Westbury (27/02/23)

[Haru]

This popped up on FB, couldn’t find it by searching firstcareers and it’s also not on internal site.

First UK Careers

First UK Careers, uk, careers, jobs, bus driver, train driver, engineer

www.firstgroupcareers.com

 

[bcfc171081]

Great find, thank you for posting .

 

[Horizon22]

Please note this is a talent pool:

We are recruiting for a Talent Pool for Trainee Drivers for 2023/24 and later. Therefore, role offers to successful candidates will be dependent on the Business Work Force Plan and the number of vacancies arising at the depot

If successful at all elements of the recruitment process, you will be placed in this Talent Pool for the depot applied for, pending available vacancies in 2023/24 at the specified depot

 

[Diedinium]

Interesting, GWR hardly ever put up applications for external applicants - guess they must need a lot of trainees at the moment and maybe don't want to lose all their staff from their current roles?

Also, does anyone know if GWR accept standard test passes? As far as I'm aware I've passed the psychometrics to standard, since I did it with TfW who don't seem to do the enhanced tests.

 

[Melancholia]

Interesting, GWR hardly ever put up applications for external applicants - guess they must need a lot of trainees at the moment and maybe don't want to lose all their staff from their current roles?

It is strange. Bristol/Westbury is being advertised externally only, however internally they are looking for drivers in Fratton only.

Also, does anyone know if GWR accept standard test passes?

That's correct, GWR only requires the standard pass rate.

 

[Diedinium]

That's correct, GWR only requires the standard pass rate.

Nice, fingers crossed then that I can make it through their selection process and these initial online tests...

I guess also fingers crossed that being in the talent pool will actually lead to something!

 

[bcfc171081]

Just done the two tests, 2nd one was a bit tricky on my iPad, should have done on laptop I think. But still confident I the ones I answered correct

 

[Diedinium]

Just done the two tests, 2nd one was a bit tricky on my iPad, should have done on laptop I think. But still confident I the ones I answered correct

There's no way all those questions in the second test can be answered right? The idea is just to get as far as possible? I didn't keep count, but I got somewhere between 15-20 answered.

Also, did you get an email after completing the second test? Kinda odd that I didn't get any sort of confirmation.

 

[bcfc171081]

There's no way all those questions in the second test can be answered right? The idea is just to get as far as possible? I didn't keep count, but I got somewhere between 15-20 answered.

Also, did you get an email after completing the second test? Kinda odd that I didn't get any sort of confirmation.

Yeah didn’t answer all 50, fair play if anyone manages that!! Got email straight after the first one but yeah like you nothing after the 2nd one. Guess they are waiting everyone to go the test.

 

[Captain Chaos]

It is strange. Bristol/Westbury is being advertised externally only, however internally they are looking for drivers in Fratton only.

Internal vacancy list gets published on Fridays only I believe so it's possible they may have put it up today Externally and it will be released Internally on Friday?

I've never known an external only for drivers jobs apart from the ever present Qualified already posts anyway as it's usually a given promotion to driver is a standard career pathing on the railway. I'm looking to apply Internally myself if it appears.

 

[DaisyN]

Hey there, new to this forum.
I’ve submitted my application and completed the first assessment though, I haven’t received an email for a second assessment as others are mentioning on here. Did it take some time for this email to come through?

Good luck to everyone that has applied and completed assessments successfully!

 

[bcfc171081]

Hey there, new to this forum.
I’ve submitted my application and completed the first assessment though, I haven’t received an email for a second assessment as others are mentioning on here. Did it take some time for this email to come through?

Good luck to everyone that has applied and completed assessments successfully!

Mine came through 5 mins after completing first one. But that was earlier in the day.

 

[Haru]

It is strange. Bristol/Westbury is being advertised externally only, however internally they are looking for drivers in Fratton only.



That's correct, GWR only requires the standard pass rate.

They recruited internally for Bristol and Westbury back in Nov though.

 

[Horizon22]

Internal vacancy list gets published on Fridays only I believe so it's possible they may have put it up today Externally and it will be released Internally on Friday?

I've never known an external only for drivers jobs apart from the ever present Qualified already posts anyway as it's usually a given promotion to driver is a standard career pathing on the railway. I'm looking to apply Internally myself if it appears.

It is of course a talent pool so it could be months / years before progression to a substantive role.

 

[TheGoldfish]

Apply now, to be in with a chance of becoming one of our Trainee Drivers, with a great training salary of £28,268, rising to £60,124 when fully qualified!

might be slightly mis leading in that you’ll need to complete 2 years qualified for the £60,124 (first year being 80% and the 2nd 90% of that) .. and if the company get their way in the current pay negotiations.. that will rise to 3 years, with the first year commencing at 70% and so on … !

 

[Carl98k]

Internal vacancy list gets published on Fridays only I believe so it's possible they may have put it up today Externally and it will be released Internally on Friday?

I've never known an external only for drivers jobs apart from the ever present Qualified already posts anyway as it's usually a given promotion to driver is a standard career pathing on the railway. I'm looking to apply Internally myself if it appears.

Do they actually take qualified drivers on? The reason I ask is that there’s been an advert for Plymouth forever.

 

[Stigy]

Do they actually take qualified drivers on? The reason I ask is that there’s been an advert for Plymouth forever.

They seem to have indefinite adverts for a number of qualified driver talent pools. I’ve not heard of anyone actually being plucked out yet mind

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Feb 2023 ==

There's no way all those questions in the second test can be answered right? The idea is just to get as far as possible? I didn't keep count, but I got somewhere between 15-20 answered.

Also, did you get an email after completing the second test? Kinda odd that I didn't get any sort of confirmation.

These SJT type questions are intended to be answered hastily but not rushed through. You’d not be expected to answer them all. Tests with right or wrong answer possibilities are intended to be answered accurately, rather than at speed. It’s all well and good answering all questions, but if only half are correct, it kind of defeats the object. If you however answer 75% of the questions, and 95% of those answered are correct, it would more than likely be a “pass”.

 

[deanboy7]

Failed one of the computer tests for another TOC earlier this month but passed all others. Do you have to disclose this on the application? Worth me putting it in?

 

[Melancholia]

Failed one of the computer tests for another TOC earlier this month but passed all others. Do you have to disclose this on the application? Worth me putting it in?

As long as it wasn't your 2nd attempt on that one computer test that you failed, then yeah worth applying. They should know what you've passed already, and what you haven't, but might be worth enquiring once you get to the stage where they offer you a psychometrics assessment date.

 

[deanboy7]

As long as it wasn't your 2nd attempt on that one computer test that you failed, then yeah worth applying. They should know what you've passed already, and what you haven't, but might be worth enquiring once you get to the stage where they offer you a psychometrics assessment date.

I was initially told I would have to wait 6 months before re applying but can't seem to find that criteria on this GWR advert....

 

[Stigy]

I was initially told I would have to wait 6 months before re applying but can't seem to find that criteria on this GWR advert....

You won’t be able to retake the test you failed for 6 months. GWR may still allow your application, but if it comes to taking psychometric assessments and you’re within that 6 months, you won’t be able to take them and will probably be removed from the process.

 

[deanboy7]

Just been told by GWR that I can't even reapply as it's within 6 months of the fail

 

[Melancholia]

Just been told by GWR that I can't even reapply as it's within 6 months of the fail

Sorry, missed out the bit about the assessment being earlier this month. That is correct then unfortunately.

 

[tiptoptaff]

They binned off 99% of the internal applications for these depots and have now advertised externally. Some very sour taste in mouths at work this week.

Be. Very. Careful.

 

[Stigy]

They binned off 99% of the internal applications for these depots and have now advertised externally. Some very sour taste in mouths at work this week.

Be. Very. Careful.

Interesting. Also interesting they not long recruited for Fratton talent pool, and four people are in it now. Strange they’d then put out another internal campaign for what is seemingly the same pool.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Interesting. Also interesting they not long recruited for Fratton talent pool, and four people are in it now. Strange they’d then put out another internal campaign for what is seemingly the same pool.

Especially as although you're losing one, there's a few interested in going down

 

[Class2ldn]

Had an application in for one depot for qualified for around 6 months and not heard a thing lol.

 

[ratbag]

Do GWR allow relocation?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Do GWR allow relocation?

Bristol management won't, due to a couple of recent trainees who said they would and then didn't.

 

[irish_rail]

Do they actually take qualified drivers on? The reason I ask is that there’s been an advert for Plymouth forever.

There's been a few qualified come to Plymouth, though most people relocating prefer to move to Cornwall so gravitate to Par or Penzance. There is still ALOT of outstanding training for the trainees at Plymouth, largely thanks to covid, but I reckon once this all evens out, they will start to take on again.