Career Progression at SWR

[Instructor_Guy]

Hi folks,

As per the title, what's career progression like at SWR? E.g. how long can it take to progress from a Rail Operator on the platforms to potential Guard or Trainee Driver (if that's something you wanted to do)? Any info will be great.

Thanks

 

[Stigy]

Hi folks,

As per the title, what's career progression like at SWR? E.g. how long can it take to progress from a Rail Operator on the platforms to potential Guard or Trainee Driver (if that's something you wanted to do)? Any info will be great.

Thanks

You can apply for other roles within the company after 6-months service in any grade. You can apply via an internal route etc. It’s easy enough to do as long as you pass assesments etc. I know from experience that as an internal applicant, if you wanted to apply for driver there doesn’t have to actually be any active vacancies and you can apply regardless. They will assess you and interview you etc, and if successful at all stages you’ll be out in a course.

 

[Instructor_Guy]

You can apply for other roles within the company after 6-months service in any grade. You can apply via an internal route etc. It’s easy enough to do as long as you pass assesments etc. I know from experience that as an internal applicant, if you wanted to apply for driver there doesn’t have to actually be any active vacancies and you can apply regardless. They will assess you and interview you etc, and if successful at all stages you’ll be out in a course.

Hi Stigy, that's good to know. I think I have to swallow my pride and apply for a role that starts near the bottom and progress through the company grades.

 

[Instructor_Guy]

Hi Stigy, that's good to know. I think I have to swallow my pride and apply for a role that starts near the bottom and progress through the company grades.

I applied for the Depot Driver role at Salisbury last week, closing date was Monday, just waiting for an email to say if I've been successful or unsuccessful. I've learnt that SWR are pretty quick with their responses when applying for roles.

 

[Stigy]

I applied for the Depot Driver role at Salisbury last week, closing date was Monday, just waiting for an email to say if I've been successful or unsuccessful. I've learnt that SWR are pretty quick with their responses when applying for roles.

Good luck! They tend to be quite quick at the early stages of the process since they’ve gone over to the FirstGroup way of doing things. You have passed the driver assesments already to national standard haven’t you?

 

[Instructor_Guy]

Good luck! They tend to be quite quick at the early stages of the process since they’ve gone over to the FirstGroup way of doing things. You have passed the driver assesments already to national standard haven’t you?

No I haven't, when I got my results from Freightliner I didn't meet the national standard unfortunately.

 

[rakoczigabi]

I applied for the Depot Driver role at Salisbury last week, closing date was Monday, just waiting for an email to say if I've been successful or unsuccessful. I've learnt that SWR are pretty quick with their responses when applying for roles.

Hi ,

Did you get any update regarding your application ?
I’m working for SWR as an RO2 , since February 2016, and originally applied to be a mainline driver at Basingstoke in February 2017. Passed half of my assessments in may the same year but failed one on the computer . So managed to pass that in May last year.
But there’s nothing going on at Basingstoke at the moment.
So I’ve applied for the Salisbury depot driver position as well , and I’m having my DMI next Wednesday.
Hopefully it will all go well.

 

[Bridger]

Hi folks,

As per the title, what's career progression like at SWR? E.g. how long can it take to progress from a Rail Operator on the platforms to potential Guard or Trainee Driver (if that's something you wanted to do)? Any info will be great.

Thanks

I was a guard for just over 2 years, started my Train Driver course this week, alongside another guard, and platform staff (as well as external folk). Some people are quicker, some people take longer.