First Great Western - Trainee Drivers

[irish_rail]

Getting your first driving job is one of the hardest thing you will ever do.

Patience is a must .......

 

[DaveCheeseman]

It was, if you dont like the game (for that is effectivly what it is) then dont play!
As for Mr Cheeseman line, I assume you are either one of the ex BR 'the world owes me because I am here blah blah blah' type of drivers or a 5 minute wonder with a balanced outlook on life, that is a chip on each shoulder!

Wrong on both counts I'm afraid, neither ex BR nor a 5 minute wonder. There's nothing worse than having to explain that something was said in humour, particularly to someone that, from their own unhelpful and bitter comments to perspective newbies, clearly isn't a particularly nice person. I remember all too well how difficult it was to get a driving job in the first place and how desperately frustrating the whole process was. Something you have either clearly not experienced yourself or have since forgotten.

 

[Maybe]

I do somewhat agree. The fact that their is no information for me is the most frustrating aspect. You phone first HR and get given one piece of information and could phone the next day to be told something completely contradictory.

That said I do t think we will hear anything now before xmas, so as frustrating as it is, I think we will have to sit tight until after xmas now.

I think if you scroll a couple of pages back skinny Dave who has not long been through the recruitment process, was informed that planned training courses for early in the new year have been cancelled, and 455 driver has indicated many a times that there is internal disputes currently being sorted, so this is also having an effect.

As much as I am hating the slow drawn out process, if we want the job we are just going to have play the game and wait.

 

[skjonesfamily]

I do somewhat agree. The fact that their is no information for me is the most frustrating aspect. You phone first HR and get given one piece of information and could phone the next day to be told something completely contradictory.

That said I do t think we will hear anything now before xmas, so as frustrating as it is, I think we will have to sit tight until after xmas now.

I think if you scroll a couple of pages back skinny Dave who has not long been through the recruitment process, was informed that planned training courses for early in the new year have been cancelled, and 455 driver has indicated many a times that there is internal disputes currently being sorted, so this is also having an effect.

As much as I am hating the slow drawn out process, if we want the job we are just going to have play the game and wait.

Also a few pages back in reply to skinnydave there was a guy also working for FGW who said he knows for a fact there is a course starting in March. So who's right and who's wrong they both cant be.

 

[SkinnyDave]

Also a few pages back in reply to skinnydave there was a guy also working for FGW who said he knows for a fact there is a course starting in March. So who's right and who's wrong they both cant be.

Guess we will see but as mentioned this came from training school and 2 senior managers, the transfers to HSS will be taking priority early part of new year

 

[455driver]

They want (okay need) to get enough drivers trained on HSS so they can release other HSS drivers to learn IEP otherwise they will be up a mucky river without any form of propulsion!
So there are a lot of drivers recently moved over to HSS currently being trained up, once these move along a bit they will put some other drivers across, this will absorb all the extra West and Thames Valley they currently have. Then they will be needing more West and TV drivers, March 2015 would appear to be a likely time frame for this to take place!

 

[SkinnyDave]

A couple of guards and stations staff waiting on a course have also been told that the courses next year have been cancelled (west) however been told this may change..

It is not really fair but that the way it is and that's internal staff that have went through the process, there is also a lot of guards at Bristol who have passed Assesments waiting on DM interviews

 

[tlionhart]

Guess we will see but as mentioned this came from training school and 2 senior managers, the transfers to HSS will be taking priority early part of new year

...who also said training would commence this September...
Well 3 months later and still in purgatory...
Despite all said, I don't see how it's effects a LTV depot like Reading who don't have a HSS depot.
I'm just going to be patient. Certainly won't hear anything into the new year.

 

[455driver]

...who also said training would commence this September...
Well 3 months later and still in purgatory...
Despite all said, I don't see how it's effects a LTV depot like Reading who don't have a HSS depot.
I'm just going to be patient. Certainly won't hear anything into the new year.

Because to do a course they need about 12 trainees, that is far too many for one depot (management time, Driver instructors etc) so a course will normally have no more that 2 or 3 from trainees each depot, because the other depots have to wait so does Reading!

 

[SkinnyDave]

...who also said training would commence this September...
Well 3 months later and still in purgatory...
Despite all said, I don't see how it's effects a LTV depot like Reading who don't have a HSS depot.
I'm just going to be patient. Certainly won't hear anything into the new year.

This is for West this was mentioned for..
Reading and Padd LTV have people waiting to go to Padd & Bristol HSS too

 

[Maybe]

There will be reasons why we are left in limbo, and obviously reasons that the company seem privy to not want to divulge. I admit I have been impatient after now being on hold awaiting a training course for a year, but that's life.

Yes I would love for them to turn round and give me a reason for the continuos wait and non existent information cuts it's obviously not going to happen.

The applicants for a job like this are at a premium, where as the vacancies are not.

We are unfortunately all going to have to sit and wait.

Questioning or disagreeing with information given by present employees or recent trainees is not going to make a vacancy appear sooner. If anything it's just going to encourage the few people who been good enough to share their information or rumours they heard, to not replying or informing us, which will leave us more in the lurch.

I for one appreciate and have taken onboard the info the likes of skinnydave and 455 driver have given us, and think the animosity at times is certainly uneccessary.

As has been said several times, there is nothing forcing us to be in the talent pool, If we don't like it we can always withdraw from consideration.

 

[455driver]

The applicants for a job like this are at a premium, where as the vacancies are not.

Um about 400 applicants (or whatever the number is this week) for each job and a lot of them passing all the tests says otherwise, okay it might be a low %age passing all the tests but in actual numbers its a lot more than available vacancies!

We are unfortunately all going to have to sit and wait.

Thats rail recruitment for you, and yes it sucks!

 

[Johncleesefan]

hi everyone, does anyone have mandy from bristol's number they can pm me. i do have it in my phone but that means tracing back through call logs to find it as my phone has a habit of deleting things.
im gonna call and see if she can tell me of when the courses are likely to be next year.
cheers fellas

 

[oxoneil]

hi everyone, does anyone have mandy from bristol's number they can pm me. i do have it in my phone but that means tracing back through call logs to find it as my phone has a habit of deleting things.
im gonna call and see if she can tell me of when the courses are likely to be next year.
cheers fellas

You're brave

 

[Johncleesefan]

Haha my mrs was pestering me into contacting them. I rang hr who gave me fgw dept number and basically yeh no news.
She told me in the next few weeks we will be in contact.

 

[oxoneil]

Haha my mrs was pestering me into contacting them. I rang hr who gave me fgw dept number and basically yeh no news.
She told me in the next few weeks we will be in contact.

I did send an email a month or so ago to Mandy but she had no news to pass. Your last sentence sounds interesting mind.

 

[Maybe]

I did send an email a month or so ago to Mandy but she had no news to pass. Your last sentence sounds interesting mind.

Mandy is one HR person that I have a lot of respect for. Obviously knows her job inside out, doesn't fill your head with bull**** and is straight to the point without buttering up. I think a lot of HR gurus could take a leaf out of her book. Probably is one of the main reasons she is as high up as she is.

 

[oxoneil]

Mandy is one HR person that I have a lot of respect for. Obviously knows her job inside out, doesn't fill your head with bull**** and is straight to the point without buttering up. I think a lot of HR gurus could take a leaf out of her book. Probably is one of the main reasons she is as high up as she is.

Yes agree, only met her once and that was at 2nd stage assessment day, made me laugh when she was telling us that the 2 hand control device wasn't like a Playstation controller so there were to be no complaints that it was broken!!! I'm sure she feels our pain of having to wait for so long.

 

[Driverb]

I have been checking the recruitment website everyday and in the last week it's gone from 10 train driver vacancies down to just 2. Which are for Reading & Bristol. So there's something going on because there's been 10 vacancies on there for ages. So hopefully it could be a sign that things are starting to progress a little. Maybe get a little Christmas present ?!?. Just hope we hear news soon as a lot of you on here I ve been waiting a while too, just hope we hear soon..... Waiting is difficult when you want something so bad.

 

[Johncleesefan]

Oh aye. A Christmas email would be a fine thing indeed. It was over 18 months ago I applied which I know isnt as long as some. Still a grand old wait. Hey ho time to refreshthem emails again

 

[SkinnyDave]

I have been checking the recruitment website everyday and in the last week it's gone from 10 train driver vacancies down to just 2. Which are for Reading & Bristol. So there's something going on because there's been 10 vacancies on there for ages. So hopefully it could be a sign that things are starting to progress a little. Maybe get a little Christmas present ?!?. Just hope we hear news soon as a lot of you on here I ve been waiting a while too, just hope we hear soon..... Waiting is difficult when you want something so bad.

Errm no sorry, head over to railchat and see qualified drivers getting treated like this as well..:roll:

 

[Driverb]

Errm no sorry, head over to railchat and see qualified drivers getting treated like this as well..:roll:

Sorry skinnydave maybe I'm just being optimistic... Trying to read between the line

 

[SkinnyDave]

I've been through it, it's not easy..

There is so much going to on with the company it's unbelievable but they still need a lot of drivers just need to keep your fingers crossed..

Lots of internal candidates in same boat too

 

[Driverb]

I've been through it, it's not easy..

There is so much going to on with the company it's unbelievable but they still need a lot of drivers just need to keep your fingers crossed..

Lots of internal candidates in same boat too

Yeah I seen that in the thread they will need a lot of drivers, it's a waiting game no doubt about that. I know it's a possibility there workforce plan keeps changing from the correspondence I've been having with them. Like you say just need to keep my fingers cross and hope for the best.

 

[tlionhart]

In hindsight the email did say they plan to have vacancies in 2015. So I wouldn't expect to hear anything from them until 2015. From talking to a few (who I met during the assesment stage and started in the summer on the last intakes) they haven't even began touching the controls of an actual train yet and not expected to until March or April next year so most will continue front end turns until then.
This also ties in with the constant open recruitment for qualified drivers. Easier to train them up then a trainee. Lots is going on at FGW so it's a case of being patient. I wouldn't expect to hear anything until feb or March next year. Also makes sense that they don't want too many trainees sitting around doing nothing. I'd much rather be in my position now with a stable job until HR and training can slot us potential trainees in. Till then it's a case of waiting.
Also I'm not going to dwell on the comments that have come from training staff that it's not going to happen. They only have so much notice and this can change at any given notice from HR. The only ones that know will be HR, which as we know they don't divulge too much info. Rightly so, why give false info when you don't know themselves. They simply liase with training to say 'ready for the next batch?'
This kind of behaviour seems identical to that of the airline industry. The only difference with airline trainers is they fly in addition to train new or existing staff. So when they are not needed they are rostered to fly and to keep their licenses valid. Not sure about rail trainers?
So to add a bit to hope for those waiting just enjoy your Christmas and new year and you'll hear something in the coming months. If it's not going to happen HR will tell you.

 

[Driverb]

Well said couldn't agree more. Just hope your right

 

[SkinnyDave]

In hindsight the email did say they plan to have vacancies in 2015. So I wouldn't expect to hear anything from them until 2015. From talking to a few (who I met during the assesment stage and started in the summer on the last intakes) they haven't even began touching the controls of an actual train yet and not expected to until March or April next year so most will continue front end turns until then.
This also ties in with the constant open recruitment for qualified drivers. Easier to train them up then a trainee. Lots is going on at FGW so it's a case of being patient. I wouldn't expect to hear anything until feb or March next year. Also makes sense that they don't want too many trainees sitting around doing nothing. I'd much rather be in my position now with a stable job until HR and training can slot us potential trainees in. Till then it's a case of waiting.
Also I'm not going to dwell on the comments that have come from training staff that it's not going to happen. They only have so much notice and this can change at any given notice from HR. The only ones that know will be HR, which as we know they don't divulge too much info. Rightly so, why give false info when you don't know themselves. They simply liase with training to say 'ready for the next batch?'
This kind of behaviour seems identical to that of the airline industry. The only difference with airline trainers is they fly in addition to train new or existing staff. So when they are not needed they are rostered to fly and to keep their licenses valid. Not sure about rail trainers?
So to add a bit to hope for those waiting just enjoy your Christmas and new year and you'll hear something in the coming months. If it's not going to happen HR will tell you.

Your comments regarding training school are wrong as are the comments regarding HR being only ones that know!

There are issues with amount of DIs available, Rosters/links which now have ASLEF involved there are many many reasons as to why you and a lot of internals are on hold!

Your last sentence is correct and hopefully they will start moving the process along

 

[tlionhart]

Your comments regarding training school are wrong as are the comments regarding HR being only ones that know!

There are issues with amount of DIs available, Rosters/links which now have ASLEF involved there are many many reasons as to why you and a lot of internals are on hold!

Your last sentence is correct and hopefully they will start moving the process along

Think you'll find I was hypothetically saying...I'm certain about the current training at the moment. The info is from an ex colleague of mine who I know well and keeps me updated with the progress. If your referring to my comment in regards to qualifieds moving from one TOC to another then I'm guessing it's a simple conversion course? I may have not added every detail but I'm confident to say we will hear something but it's a case of being patient. EXTREME PATEINCE. Even if we are still in this position come next Spring it won't surprise me.
Well HR are the ones that would know as are area managers. Is anyone here going to contact an area manager and find out? Think not. Im not saying I'm right or a know it all, just merely excercising a bit of logic and optimism. Also not all of us are coming to work at your depot. There's loads across the network so different quotas, etc required.

 

[SkinnyDave]

Think you'll find I was hypothetically saying...I'm certain about the current training at the moment. The info is from an ex colleague of mine who I know well and keeps me updated with the progress. I may have not added every detail but I'm confident to say we will hear something but it's a case of being patient. EXTREME PATEINCE. Even if we are still in this position come next Spring it won't surprise me.
Well HR are the ones that would know as are area managers. Is anyone here going to contact an area manager and find out? Think not. Im not saying I'm right or a know it all, just merely excercising a bit of logic and optimism. Also not all of us are coming to work at your depot. There's loads across the network so different quotas, etc required.

I don't care if you are being hypothetical or not your first two points were wrong as stated before and I know not everyone isn't looking at West depots but LTV are presented with their own challenges to say the least.. Same issues regarding DIs and training turns are also a factor up their hence ASLEF being heavily involved..

You will need patience it may indeed change but the feeling is they have took a lot of Trainees on over last 18 months without the correct structure to deal with it, hopefully by the time they get moving your experience should you be successful will be a lot smoother and organised.

 

[tlionhart]

I don't care if you are being hypothetical or not your first two points were wrong as stated before and I know not everyone isn't looking at West depots but LTV are presented with their own challenges to say the least.. Same issues regarding DIs and training turns are also a factor up their hence ASLEF being heavily involved..

You will need patience it may indeed change but the feeling is they have took a lot of Trainees on over last 18 months without the correct structure to deal with it, hopefully by the time they get moving your experience should you be successful will be a lot smoother and organised.

Rather than sit behind your computer monitor and become one of those keyboard ninjas, it would be helpful if you could highlight the bit that's inccorrect rather than generalise everything I've written. It would be helpful.