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FCC Update?

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mkwhite

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Anyone on the inside know When FCC will be taking on more drivers that have passed all their stages?
 
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Karmakanik

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Not on the inside (yet!), but the driver manager at my interview in May did say that it would be around December for the next intake.
Hasn't stopped me checking my application status 3 times a day though!
 

A-driver

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I have heard rumours from the unions that FCC are now claiming some depots to be too full and looking at cutting down lines on the rosters with natural wastage. If this is true then interesting to see how many of the 150 new drivers they are meant to be recruiting they will actually take on.
 

letmedrive

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I have been waiting since Feb. It hardly fills me with confidence to read this kind of thing, I am seriously considering looking elsewhere.
 

W230

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I start at end of August. Not sure when the next intake is after that though.
 

Gareth43

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It's very doubtful there will be any vacancies next year at FCC with the franchise running out.
 
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I read somewhere that the current FCC franchise will merge into (whoever wins the) current Southern franchise as it was one of the recommendations of the McNulty report.
 

Gareth43

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Weather FCC retain it or not the trains will still run.

Well obviously, but that was not my point was it!
my point was next year there is a very high chance that there will not be any vacancies as they have the franchise to worry about. Should they keep the franchise then in the future they will start recruiting again. :roll:
 

E&W Lucas

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Well obviously, but that was not my point was it!
my point was next year there is a very high chance that there will not be any vacancies as they have the franchise to worry about. Should they keep the franchise then in the future they will start recruiting again. :roll:

I would suggest that your thoughts are very wide of the mark indeed.

FCC are perpetually short of drivers, and I would expect them to maintain their level of trainee intake. They have no choice - they still have to deliver the service.
 

Gareth43

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I would suggest that your thoughts are very wide of the mark indeed.

FCC are perpetually short of drivers, and I would expect them to maintain their level of trainee intake. They have no choice - they still have to deliver the service.

That may be, I am only repeating what I have been told by staff at FCC, I guess time will tell.
 

A-driver

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FCC should continue recruiting, I think it's more to stagger the number of trainees at the school at once and prevent what happened before with trainees spending 6months sitting in depots waiting for a DI!

I do know however that they arnt keen on recruiting too many more-they prefer to rely on overtime despite the odd BBQ Sunday etc but I have heard rumours (admittedly through unions) that they have recalculated the number of drivers needed at each depot and several depots are rumoured to be over staffed now.

I know they were instructed by the DfT to recruit something like 150 trainee drivers but I have a feeling that putting them through the recruitment process will satisfy the DfT but they will need more drivers at some point to cover the training of new stock, routes, GSMR, ato, in cab signalling etc and it is said with some certainty that many drivers will take early retirement as they don't want the hassle of all the new learning and changes etc-some went through electrification and privatisation and are at the wrong time of life for all the hassle.
 

jon0844

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While First may employ staff now, under TUPE regulations they'll all move to anyone else that wins the next franchise if it isn't First Group.

On that basis, I can't see why any operator would stop hiring unless it's purely down to the cost of doing training that they might not actually benefit from. If that's the case, then it's something that needs to be looked at (although with longer franchises, I guess the problem will be reduced in the future).
 
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New Drivers will be required at all TOC's over the next few years.

1) If everything (service levels) stay the same as they are now, TOC's loose around 5% of drivers each year through retirement, promotions etc...

2) Frequency of services are increasing in certain geographical areas (such as Crossrail) and decreasing in others (for example Sussex and Hampshire).

So, all I can say is that the prospects for a train driving career compared to other industries such as teaching or mechanics is very good in the short-medium term.
 

Class377/5

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It has gone all quiet on the FCC front for me, anyone else heard anything ?

It will go quiet, new franchise slows everything down. The idea is to recruite drivers as part of the on going works but as the franchise end date was moved forward things got. Bit out of sync. Drivers are needed, just expect things to progress slowly until new bidder is announced.
 
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