• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Avanti - Trainee Train Drivers - Multiple Locations (28/02/23)

Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Callidus80

New Member
Joined
26 Oct 2022
Messages
4
Location
UK
Update. Wolves applicant. Recieved an offer this evening for the 12th May! Over the moon. Hopefully more phone calls coming for those waiting.
Excellent news. Congrats!

Can you confirm your date is May? The email I have from the Trainee Driver Talent Pool mentioned courses in January and March but not May.

For general information I'm a Manchester applicant from 2022 and entered the talent pool in Febrary of 2023, us Manchester applicant can only wait in hope there'll be some demand shortly!
 

om1997

Member
Joined
10 May 2023
Messages
47
Location
MANCHESTER
Excellent news. Congrats!

Can you confirm your date is May? The email I have from the Trainee Driver Talent Pool mentioned courses in January and March but not May.

For general information I'm a Manchester applicant from 2022 and entered the talent pool in Febrary of 2023, us Manchester applicant can only wait in hope there'll be some demand shortly!
I believe there’s courses January, March, May, July. Although original email stated just January and March
 
Joined
20 Dec 2022
Messages
114
Location
South
Thanks all. I found out not too long ago. Been busy trying to sort a few things out. But it’s looking all good considering 2024 was quiet for a lot of us.
 

Limerickboyo

Member
Joined
14 Mar 2024
Messages
13
Location
England
Congratulations all. wolves applicant here.
Had an email in October to be patient for upcoming DMI but not heard anything else

Does anybody know if they will be doing more DMI's or have filled up positions from talent pool now?
 

Crdif

Member
Joined
24 Oct 2023
Messages
35
Congratulations all. wolves applicant here.
Had an email in October to be patient for upcoming DMI but not heard anything else

Does anybody know if they will be doing more DMI's or have filled up positions from talent pool now?
you’ll get an interview if they are pooling from it just now !
 
Last edited:

Buster156

Member
Joined
7 Jun 2023
Messages
8
Location
Solihull
Update. Wolves applicant. Recieved an offer this evening for the 12th May! Over the moon. Hopefully more phone calls coming for those waiting.
Congratulations mate. Sounds like you passed your DMI around the same time as me. Fingers crossed for more offers for Wolves soon.
 

ndjefc82

Member
Joined
5 Sep 2023
Messages
15
Location
Merseyside
They are advertising for Qualified Drivers in Polmadie and Wolves now.

Anybody know how long a Qualified takes to become productive in comparison to a Trainee?
 

GLENMAYE77

Member
Joined
28 Sep 2017
Messages
327
They are advertising for Qualified Drivers in Polmadie and Wolves now.

Anybody know how long a Qualified takes to become productive in comparison to a Trainee?

About 6 months…..4-5 week course and 60 days route learning.
 
Joined
20 Dec 2022
Messages
114
Location
South
They are advertising for Qualified Drivers in Polmadie and Wolves now.

Anybody know how long a Qualified takes to become productive in comparison to a Trainee?
This isn’t such bad thing. They were recruiting quite a bit for qualified drivers at wolves depot prior to me receiving a call for a course.
 

ezywheels

Member
Joined
6 Oct 2024
Messages
21
Location
Scotland
So qualified drivers to apply for the talent pool before trainee drivers even reach it? I'm sure there are sufficient trainee applicants awaiting progress that would easily fill a course, so it's not to do with lack of applicants... I've never known such a backward, archaic recruitment process in my working life!!
 

Grvrdvicdr

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2021
Messages
224
Location
London
So qualified drivers to apply for the talent pool before trainee drivers even reach it? I'm sure there are sufficient trainee applicants awaiting progress that would easily fill a course, so it's not to do with lack of applicants... I've never known such a backward, archaic recruitment process in my working life!!
It’s not necessarily to do with filling courses as there certainly are enough trainee drivers waiting. But it’s a case of Avanti being short of drivers they need to get some trained up quickly. Why spend 18 months+ training someone when you can get someone out in less than half the time. Also need to factor in the availability of driving instructors for the trainees to do their minimum driving hours, which a qualified driver wouldn’t need to do. Also qualified drivers are cheaper to employ as won’t have to test and train etc etc

There’s currently rumours floating about that Avanti want to move away from trainees/apprenticeship entirely due to issues with incidents once they pass out, a controversial opinion among many is that drivers from TOCs such as Avanti should start elsewhere and gain driving experience on more local/metro routes.
 

Qaramllk

Member
Joined
2 Dec 2024
Messages
5
Location
Edinburgh
Does anyone know the process qualified drivers go through with Avanti as opposed to Trainee’s with no experience?

Is the Application/Interview process the same and it’s just the training course that’s different or is it more straightforward for qualified drivers?

Do you need to resit all initial psychometric testing again and go through the entire process from the start?
 

Grvrdvicdr

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2021
Messages
224
Location
London
Does anyone know the process qualified drivers go through with Avanti as opposed to Trainee’s with no experience?

Is the Application/Interview process the same and it’s just the training course that’s different or is it more straightforward for qualified drivers?

Do you need to resit all initial psychometric testing again and go through the entire process from the start?
Qualified drivers apply online for a qualified position. Do a rules refresh test and interview. If successful then you get on a 5 week refresher course learning company specific rules, traction and sims and then you go out route learning. Its probably less than half of what it takes a trainee.

No need to re sit any psychometrics as already licensed driver.
 

43066

On Moderation
Joined
24 Nov 2019
Messages
11,812
Location
London
So qualified drivers to apply for the talent pool before trainee drivers even reach it? I'm sure there are sufficient trainee applicants awaiting progress that would easily fill a course, so it's not to do with lack of applicants... I've never known such a backward, archaic recruitment process in my working life!!

Fair to say it’ll be different talent pools given the vastly different training requirements between qualified and trainee.

There’s currently rumours floating about that Avanti want to move away from trainees/apprenticeship entirely due to issues with incidents once they pass out, a controversial opinion among many is that drivers from TOCs such as Avanti should start elsewhere and gain driving experience on more local/metro routes.

I’ve heard from a (very) informed source that both Avanti and LNER took on so many street to seat trainees in recent years that they’ve struggled to cope from a training and ongoing supervision perspective - ideally you need a balance of each, as they need such different levels of supervision. Obviously traditional “starter” TOCs such as SE are more geared up for street to seat people.
 

Top