Tractor2018
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Why the hell are you talking about qualified drivers getting interviewed on Thursday in Preston then??
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TPE: First Group UK Careers: 6 Trainee Driver opportunities arise
- Thread starter Tolabear
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Why the hell are you talking about qualified drivers getting interviewed on Thursday in Preston then??
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If you bothered to read things you would understand why! But as I will have to spell it out for you:
My comments about qualified interviews were to explain why the trainee positions had now been cancelled. As all we were told in the emails was they had now been filled. I was explaining what they had been filled with meaning we had all been led on a wild goose chase!
Tractor2018
Member
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There wasn't any in the first place at the depot for that vacancy. None. I'm out.
The only person getting job numbers mixed up is YOU
So everyone on this thread is just imagining that there were trainee vacancies for
Glasgow Central
Cleethorpes
Manchester Picc
Hull
York
Liverpool Lime Street
Closing date 3rd September
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MostlyHarmless
Member
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Oh the VTEC thing was terrible and I take your point about where applicants stand in the recruitment process. That's why I'm not getting wound up about it - as well as the fact that it's not the first time it's happened to me.
delticdeano74
Member
The recruitment process can be extremely frustrating and can test the patience of even the most laid back of folk. Try to remain positive and use a knock back as something to kick back against to succeed in the future.
tiptoptaff
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I would suggest you'd do better sucking it up and moving on than slating the TOC on an open forum
I find your need to be a bootlicker for TOCs rather strange. I have every right to point out realities of the situation, harsh realities at that!
Something needs to be done to sort out the abysmal way TOCs go about recruiting for these positions. These companies are there to run the railway on behalf of the government, and therefore the people of this country, through the franchise agreement. These agreements need to benefit the public's needs, one important aspect being jobs available for the public. The government has already set a precedent with the west coast franchise extension by stipulating a condition of that being that they take on apprentices. Now they only took on 1 per depot and will pay you £15,000 for the first year which is pitiful but it's a start. They also wouldn't even give you complimentary travel on their trains to get you to Crewe from the other end of the country for the 2 assessment stages. But again it is a start and sets a precedent. Far more needs to be done to give the people of this country a leg up and the opportunity to make something of themselves. Boot licking TOCs will not achieve this!
Trainguy90
Member
Jobs are open to the public, sure they do have some internal recruitment or they bring in qualified drivers, but all that does is open up a position for someone els in another company.
Looking through the forum there are lots of people who have been successful in becoming a driver, and there are many about to start courses in the next week or so.
It is a harsh process if you keep getting knock backs but in the end people are being recruited and positions are being filled.
Unfortunately this is not quite the case. TOCs very often refuse to fill vacancies created by drivers, leaving for other companies as an example or retiring etc etc, and opt to cover them through rest day working as it is cheaper for them. That is why ASLEF withdraw rest day working in order to force the company to employ more drivers. So it is not as simple as you state where it is a one out one in equilibrium.
That's why I say that there needs to be reform in the franchise agreements regarding these issues and this has started in the form of the west coast franchise extension but far more needs to be done!
Why does everyone seem to have this thing in their head where they feel they have a right to get and interview and assessments just because they applied for a position on the railways? Like, I understand that you took time applying for a position only for it to be taken by more experienced and qualified people but hey thats life right? Your acting like this is a bigger problem then it actually is, at least they got back to you about the reasoning, they could of just left you in the dark. Pretty sure they didnt need to tell you whether or not you got the job they do it out of respect for the people who didnt get through. What do you want from the TOC's? For them to give every single person a hand written letter saying how sorry they are that they found someone better than you? Sorry to be rude, but get over yourself...
theironroad
Established Member
With the advent of email and online applications, I do think every company (inside and outside the railway) should have the decency to rely to someone saying they're not interested. The added work of sticking a name and email address in a mail merge document wouldn't add massively to the process, but is a far better way to treat people.
Often people apply for a job and are met with a wall of silence. It doesn't have to be personalised with feedback but a simple thanks for applying but no thanks is better than silence.
That is just a total mischaracterisation of everything I have said. It is in the interests of everyone in this country to have our national assets used in the best interests of the British people, such as creating meaningful job opportunities. Not just giving international conglomerates a free reign to run amok with our national assests . Being vocal about this and suggesting ideas is an important part of creating positive change for all. Taking an I'm alright Jack attitude is not helping anyone! That is why I bring up the point about franchise agreements which you conveniently over look. The rail unions such as ASLEF, who withdraw rest day working, and the governments apprentice scheme show that momentum is behind my views.
Who is asking for a hand written letter? All we are asking for is a fair playing field. Companies shouldn't be advertising for trainee positions when they have no intention of following through on them because they plan to fill all the positions with qualifieds in the first place, it is very unethical and not indicative of an open, diverse and forward thinking company in the 21st century.
theironroad
Established Member
I've not followed the ins and outs, but it is possible that initially the toc did intend to take on and train trainees from scratch and advertised as such. Maybe then filling the vacancies became more urgent (possibly people leaving unexpectedly) and they went for the qualifieds.
There's massive difference in training time for trainee v qualified and a!so in the assessment monitoring in the first couple of years of productive driving.
There's massive difference in training time for trainee v qualified and a!so in the assessment monitoring in the first couple of years of productive driving.
Quite right. But as was my original point it would have saved the need to even do that if they just took on qualifieds to fill the positions as was their intention all along and not lead us all down the garden path advertising trainee positions they had no intention of filling in the first place.
Simples! I don't get why people are trying to make more out of this statement and how they can disagree with that lol!
Trainguy90
Member
A quick scan through some of these forums and it’s clear to see many people are getting jobs and starting courses very imminently, from what I can see.
No company would start a costly recruitment process if there wasn’t initially an intention of taking new people on. Good luck with your future applications and don’t read into things so much
No company would start a costly recruitment process if there wasn’t initially an intention of taking new people on. Good luck with your future applications and don’t read into things so much
Just to add Paddy , when people on here reply to say not to slate the toc's , they generally are not bootlicking , they are giving you advice. These forum post's are read by toc's hr team's and people have lost job's after slating a toc . Try to not let it be you.
tiptoptaff
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Paddy, fella, listen. You don't half talk some rubbish. And, with your attitude, even if they did take trainees, I highly doubt you'd have been one of them.
Best of luck going forward, but if you think refraining from slating TOCs on an open forum that many of them read is bootlicking, then you're going to have to lick a whole lot more than just boots if you're ever lucky enough to have to obey a social media policy.
Best of luck going forward, but if you think refraining from slating TOCs on an open forum that many of them read is bootlicking, then you're going to have to lick a whole lot more than just boots if you're ever lucky enough to have to obey a social media policy.
Unless the TOC works in conjunction with GCHQ I don't think I have anything to worry about!
They should be grown up enough to be able to take on my points and learn from them.
Dave Tasty
Member
It is unfortunate but I can see the business sense in their decision. I will channel my energies into looking elsewhere. As far as slating TOC's are concerned I would swerve that as well, you never know who is reading and these people are potential employers as well. It is difficult enough without annoying the people that do the hiring.
Paddy you sound quite angry. Is your name Patrick? Or is that your surname? I doubt that you are 67 years old so you might have been born in 1967. I notice you said that you applied for the depot that is not open yet.....see where I am going with this. People can deduce things from lots of bits of information, they don't need to be in the security services. It might be that you have a screen name totally unrelated but this is generally unlikely. If you do then crack on, but you may screw things up for an unrelated 51 year old called Patrick trying to break into the industry.
Before you come back at me I am not having a pop just offering a bit of friendly advice. Alternatively you could ring up TPE give them your full name and share your thoughts on their recruitment process. That would also be quite grown up. Whatever you choose, good luck.
Paddy you sound quite angry. Is your name Patrick? Or is that your surname? I doubt that you are 67 years old so you might have been born in 1967. I notice you said that you applied for the depot that is not open yet.....see where I am going with this. People can deduce things from lots of bits of information, they don't need to be in the security services. It might be that you have a screen name totally unrelated but this is generally unlikely. If you do then crack on, but you may screw things up for an unrelated 51 year old called Patrick trying to break into the industry.
Before you come back at me I am not having a pop just offering a bit of friendly advice. Alternatively you could ring up TPE give them your full name and share your thoughts on their recruitment process. That would also be quite grown up. Whatever you choose, good luck.
dilbertphil
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To be honest Paddy, I think with your attitude you would have struggled greatly in the railway environment. It's like no other workplace and I just don't think you have the attributes needed to get through it. Perhaps look at something else.
Also to remember even when you are employed the training can have set backs too. It is very common for trainee drivers to sit around for months and months on end even up to a year in some cases due to not enough driving instructors being available.
For some reason I have noticed this becoming more and more common lately. I’m putting it down to extreme timetable changes requiring so many extra services trains and drivers to meet demand, but instructor numbers remain as they were. The number of people wanting to be drivers will always be high and only keeps getting higher, the number of people wanting to be instructors unfortunately will never meet that right balance.
That is delay to your training and getting the full wage so you’re stuck on training money. That is similar to this situation, you’ve taken the time out to apply for this job but through no fault of your own and a situation completely out of your hands it’s gone the way it has. It’s not fair at all but it is just what it is.
You’ve honestly got to have a head and patience of steel in this industry starting right from the application process, assesments and interviews, and then right through the training even also. An attitude like the poster’s above really wouldn’t get you far and likely not employed at all or not employed for very long if you do manage to get the job lol.
For some reason I have noticed this becoming more and more common lately. I’m putting it down to extreme timetable changes requiring so many extra services trains and drivers to meet demand, but instructor numbers remain as they were. The number of people wanting to be drivers will always be high and only keeps getting higher, the number of people wanting to be instructors unfortunately will never meet that right balance.
That is delay to your training and getting the full wage so you’re stuck on training money. That is similar to this situation, you’ve taken the time out to apply for this job but through no fault of your own and a situation completely out of your hands it’s gone the way it has. It’s not fair at all but it is just what it is.
You’ve honestly got to have a head and patience of steel in this industry starting right from the application process, assesments and interviews, and then right through the training even also. An attitude like the poster’s above really wouldn’t get you far and likely not employed at all or not employed for very long if you do manage to get the job lol.
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As you are such an expert on everything about me do list off my qualifications and attributes otherwise keep your conjecture to yourself!
Maybe if they paid DIs more money and didn't shaft them by only handing out temporary DI positions there would be more people interested. But what would I know after all you are the expert with the head full of steel and I know absolutely nothing!
You do have a pretty bad attitude. I for one (being employed by Tpe) are glad you ain’t coming to join us
You probably dream at night of walking through picket lines to impress management given your attitude.
How do you know I am not management?
Loool temporary DI positions? Please do enlighten me because this is a new one.
It is not just about the money there are plenty of other reasons too, in fact money is the least of the reasons. Regardless of what it is though, agias it really is just what it is. You clearly have massive beef with the industry and how it runs I’m really confused why you would like to work in it :/
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