Work Experience Y11

brick60000 · 15 Dec 2013

Hi,

Does anyone know of any TOC's in/around the midlands that offer work experience to Y11 students (aged 15)? If possible, I would like to do the work experience on the operations side of the TOC, opposed to the engineering side.

Many thanks,
Brick60000

RailUK Forums

Nym · 15 Dec 2013

Where abouts in the country would you be looking for this work experience?

And what would you like to get from an 'operations' role?

brick60000 · 15 Dec 2013

Nym said:
Where abouts in the country would you be looking for this work experience?

Preferably in/around the west midlands region.

Nym said:
And what would you like to get from an 'operations' role?

At the moment, I would like to do something along the lines of guarding, driving, or even working in a job that involves working in the control centres, potentially.

Gareth Marston · 15 Dec 2013

I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 weeks in the box at Caersws back in 1986 I seem to recall my father wrote a letter to the London Midland region area manager in Stoke on Trent. No doubt all different now with all sorts of health and safety obstacles. I was exchanging tablets by hand with ecs DMU's doing 20 mph and closing level crossing gates by hand on a public highway with no training or risk assessments!

317666 · 15 Dec 2013

It's worth sending a letter in to your local TOC, enquiring about whether a work experience placement would be possible. I did this for my work experience in 2011 with NXEA which was station based, it took them a few months to reply though so do it as soon as possible.

Uzair · 15 Dec 2013

Good luck trying. I found it to be extremely difficult when I looked into this 3 years ago.

306024 · 15 Dec 2013

There is quite a lot of paperwork to agree these days before a TOC can take on someone for work experience, which all takes time to get in place. The days of just popping along for a look round are no longer possible. Certainly anything safety critical is a non starter without the appropriate training, but something like a cab ride is not beyond possibility. The TOCs HR department would be the best place to start, good luck.

brick60000 · 15 Dec 2013

Thanks for all of your responses. I will get contacting TOC's then!

GadgetMan · 15 Dec 2013

brick60000 said:
Hi,

Does anyone know of any TOC's in/around the midlands that offer work experience to Y11 students (aged 15)? If possible, I would like to do the work experience on the operations side of the TOC, opposed to the engineering side.

Many thanks,
Brick60000

Your best bet is to get in touch with London Midland and Cross Country as they both have their Head Quarters in Birmingham. I'm not sure if they offer work experience, if they do then you will most likely spend most of your time in the offices/Control room. If you're really lucky they may let you shadow a Guard for a day or two, spend time in a ticket office (LM only, XC don't have any ticket offices), regarding your last post - you won't get anywhere near Driving. A play on the simulator is as close as you can dream of.

Virgin are another possibility. I think their Control is now in Milton Keynes, if they offered you a placement then chances are they'd be willing to offer you a temporary travel pass to travel between Birmingham and Milton Keynes.

43074 · 4 Jan 2014

As has already been said, get in touch with your local TOCs.

Operations are a difficult area to gain work experience in because much of it is safety critical - it was only a small part of my time with EMT last year. You could try volunteering at a heritage railway, for the skills and knowledge you gain apart from anything else. But good luck with it!

western Champion · 4 Jan 2014

GadgetMan said:
Your best bet is to get in touch with London Midland and Cross Country as they both have their Head Quarters in Birmingham. I'm not sure if they offer work experience, if they do then you will most likely spend most of your time in the offices/Control room. If you're really lucky they may let you shadow a Guard for a day or two, spend time in a ticket office (LM only, XC don't have any ticket offices), regarding your last post - you won't get anywhere near Driving. A play on the simulator is as close as you can dream of.

Virgin are another possibility. I think their Control is now in Milton Keynes, if they offered you a placement then chances are they'd be willing to offer you a temporary travel pass to travel between Birmingham and Milton Keynes.

VT Control is in Meridian Birmingham. Moved from the Mail Box a short while ago.

Bayum · 4 Jan 2014

I'd try and speak to someone directly as opposed to sending off a letter and waiting.

A thread posted by myself the other month was in response to FTPE getting back to me nearly 8 years after my work experience period.

Stuart-h · 6 Jan 2014

Brick I'd also ask East Midland Trains the question as well.

the sniper · 7 Jan 2014

GadgetMan said:
Your best bet is to get in touch with London Midland and Cross Country as they both have their Head Quarters in Birmingham.

It's worth trying Chiltern too. I live in Birmingham and did a placement with them, but that was back in 2008. I did one with Central Trains in the 2004 too, but I don't know what LM's policy in nowadays. Both were great, valuable experiences.

Temple Meads · 7 Jan 2014

Might be a bit far afield, but a friend got a work experience week with FGW in 2012.

James Wake · 7 Jan 2014

I know its way away, but quite often Southern offer Work Experience at East Croydon in various roles (shadow platform, ticket office etc). I found it difficult to get one with them in 2010, however now they do it a lot more.

brick60000 · 7 Jan 2014

Many thanks for all the advice. I think I will try speaking to a few of the suggested toc's and see what response I get!

Brick60000

Mike11 · 8 Jan 2014

It's unlikely I'm afraid as you need to over 18 to have a job on there. I tried when I was in yr 11 and said they don't do work experience but I'm old now lol so times may have changed. Ring TOCs in your area and ask. If you don't ask you don't get.

Good luck anyway!!!

brick60000 · 20 Jan 2014

Mike11 said:
Good luck anyway!!!

Thanks!

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi,

I am thinking of asking several local TOC's and a few that are slightly further afield to see what response I get. The first one I am thinking of contacting is Chiltern Railways, but I am not sure where to contact! Am I best sending a letter, email or phoning their HR department, or contacting them through their general contact form?

Thanks for any help in advance!

Brick60000

Simon11 · 20 Jan 2014

I would personally phone them (HR) and try to speak with someone senior.

Have laid out what you wish to say (what you would like to do, what you could bring to Chiltern, why you would like to be with Chiltern). You have to make yourself stand out, otherwise the person on the other end would rather take the easy option and say no!

Alternatively, best way is if you have contact, ie know a friend or friend of a friend who works for a TOC.

brick60000 · 20 Jan 2014

Simon11 said:
I would personally phone them (HR) and try to speak with someone senior.

Have laid out what you wish to say (what you would like to do, what you could bring to Chiltern, why you would like to be with Chiltern). You have to make yourself stand out, otherwise the person on the other end would rather take the easy option and say no!

Alternatively, best way is if you have contact, ie know a friend or friend of a friend who works for a TOC.

Thanks for your advice!

Cherry_Picker · 22 Jan 2014

It might be worth getting in contact via Twitter (@Chilternrailway) to see who to speak to. I suspect the person who handles the Twitter feed during office hours is the same person who does most of the communication with the public. You could swing by Moor Street and ask in person, though I think you would probably need to go to the ticket office there and see if they can find a manager who would be able to speak with you. Both options will probably end up with you having to put something into writing but if you show you are keen then you might have more of a chance.

brick60000 · 22 Jan 2014

Cherry_Picker said:
It might be worth getting in contact via Twitter (@Chilternrailway) to see who to speak to. I suspect the person who handles the Twitter feed during office hours is the same person who does most of the communication with the public. You could swing by Moor Street and ask in person, though I think you would probably need to go to the ticket office there and see if they can find a manager who would be able to speak with you. Both options will probably end up with you having to put something into writing but if you show you are keen then you might have more of a chance.

I will try that I think

.

What should I say? Something like 'Hi, would just like to ask who I should contact if I would like to investigate the possibility of work experience?'

Brick60000

HSTfan!!! · 23 Jan 2014

I did mine with arriva a good few years back now. I spoke to a booking office clerk who contacted the station manager who managed to arrange it for me. I ended up working there when I turned 18.

brick60000 · 23 Jan 2014

HSTfan!!! said:
I did mine with arriva a good few years back now. I spoke to a booking office clerk who contacted the station manager who managed to arrange it for me. I ended up working there when I turned 18.

Out of interest, could I ask which station this was at?

Brick60000

Work Experience Y11

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