16 year old DESPERATE to work for London Underground

[kimico]

I am writing to see if anyone can help or point me in the right direction. My 16 year old son is desperate to get into London Underground and his ultimate aim is to become a tube train driver.

My question is How does he do this I have exhausted everything I can think of, I have purchased the How to become a London Underground Train Driver which he loves but is there any other courses that he could take which London Underground would recognise the Certificate.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kimico

 

[Oracle]

I am trying to get my son, 20, into a job. He has come to the end of his time at college and it has taken an enormous effort to get him a part-time post in fast food. However, the establishment have now got a tie-up to do NVQs including in customer service. I gather that LU are not recruiting at all, and people are being let go so you have to think about a few years' time. I would see if my son could do a customer service job and also whether an NVQ might be possible associated with it. From what I have seen the interviewers are interested in whether candidates have been involved in dealing with the public. I may be wrong but the impression I get is that those who go on for driving assessment tend to be recruited internally from CSAs, and that in itself relies on good customer relationship skills. Working for McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and / or supermarkets would appear to me to be the best way forward. You also of course have to have certain skills as regards their tests that they throw at you, and I think that some of the likely ones are able to be purchased by those wanting to become a driver, etc.

 

[185]

It's a shame, when I was 15, I started part time as a steward on National Express.

Don't see jobs like that nowadays.

 

[Oracle]

The only place wheer 15-tyear olds can work in my experience is in some Pizza Huts. They can only work one day a week, and not beyound 21.00. That is why everyone seems to only take on 16 year olds on or after 1st July after their birthday, and preferably 18 year olds as they can deal with alcohol and also work beyond 22.00. I was however 15 whhen I worked in a supermarket, having had the 'leave at 15' replaced by '16' just come in after my birthday.

 

[Met Driver]

I am writing to see if anyone can help or point me in the right direction. My 16 year old son is desperate to get into London Underground and his ultimate aim is to become a tube train driver.

My question is How does he do this I have exhausted everything I can think of, I have purchased the How to become a London Underground Train Driver which he loves but is there any other courses that he could take which London Underground would recognise the Certificate.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kimico

Best bet is the Operational Apprenticeship scheme, recruiting January 2011 for a September 2011 start... http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/jobs/17156.aspx

 

[Clip]

Its quite odd that i have never seen a drivers job advertised since i first started out looking.

Met Driver : From what ive been told by other LUL station staff is it true that that is the best way to become a driver as they always recruit for the positions within?

 

[Ibex]

I think it's the same across the railway in general, driver positions will usually be filled with internal candidates.

As Met Driver has also posted, the Apprenticeship scheme is the best bet for your son.
He could end up driving by the time he's 18. Perhaps this video will be some inspiration to him.

 

[Daniel]

Best bet is the Operational Apprenticeship scheme, recruiting January 2011 for a September 2011 start... http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/jobs/17156.aspx

Indeed, that's the best way in. It's a hard scheme to get on but it's excellent once you're there.

He could end up driving by the time he's 18.

Unfortunately not at the moment. The outcomes of the apprenticeship scheme have been changed so that currently, the only option is CSA. Of course that may change over time but I wouldn't expect it to in the course of a year.

 

[21:38]

There has been a blanket freeze on all training and recruitment in LUL over the past 12 months as the review of spending was completed. Due to over recruitment there are lists of CSA's ready to be trained who have been through recruitment and offered jobs. But along with this internally there are people waiting to move on through promotion to drivers and supervisors.

Due to recruitment being internal for most postions the best advice is apply for a CSA role, be patient and with the positive attitude and ambition CSA's move into driver rioles all the time.

 

[NLC1072]

tried signing up to an agency? meteor, trainpeople and express staffing solutions all supply staff to london overground (which shares tracks with london underground)... only CSA's but it all counts towards the same thing, and you can be made permanent staff off of an agency easier than any apprentice scheme and go straight into a full time paid job...

 

[Daniel]

and you can be made permanent staff off of an agency easier than any apprentice scheme and go straight into a full time paid job...

Personally I disagree - if you get onto the LU apprenticeship scheme you are guaranteed a CSA position, a full time paid job - not to mention the fact you get paid whilst on the apprenticeship.

Becoming agency staff may be a good alternative, but I would definitely recommend the apprenticeship scheme first if you are eligible.

 

[robby p]

I would agree with 21:38. Being patient is key I think. I become a CSA for LU at 18, I did that for 2 years and I moved on, I'm now a mainline train driver with NXEA out of Liverpool st. If you want to know any more detail about how I got into it or anything just let me know