GWR Train Driver talent pool

[Lee70]

Just logged on to my First group application and seen that there's no historical messages there anymore. No info about being in talent pool. Passed my DMI January 2020
Anyone find the same? If I applied for Exeter st Davids who should I contact?

 

[T-Karmel]

Just logged on to my First group application and seen that there's no historical messages there anymore. No info about being in talent pool. Passed my DMI January 2020
Anyone find the same? If I applied for Exeter st Davids who should I contact?

It happened to someone already, I remember someone posting it here few months ago. After contacting First they've been told that they're application is still in TP.

Messages however dissappear after 1 year I think.

My application I still in there when I log in.

I would drop a message to general recruitment email: [email protected]

 

[Goingloco]

Just logged on to my First group application and seen that there's no historical messages there anymore. No info about being in talent pool. Passed my DMI January 2020
Anyone find the same? If I applied for Exeter st Davids who should I contact?

Assuming the date of your DMI pass I imagine that your OPC tests are still active? I was dropped out of a GWR talent pool when mine expired........

 

[Nonuts]

Just logged on to my First group application and seen that there's no historical messages there anymore. No info about being in talent pool. Passed my DMI January 2020
Anyone find the same? If I applied for Exeter st Davids who should I contact?

Looked at mine and the messages have gone but interviews and offers are still showing so I assume there's a time limit

 

[Kae]

Had my DMI in January. Didn't hear anything back so emailed GWR couple of days ago. They emailed back quickish saying I've not been successful unfortunately. Gutted to say the least. Wonder only knows why they kept me hanging so long when i wasnt successful and would they have even informed me had i not emailed them. Oh well.

That brings me to the next question. I have asked GWR about the assessment level and validity which they haven't got back to me yet. Does anyone on this forum know what level the assessments were by any chance, i.e standard or enhanced?

 

[Stigy]

Had my DMI in January. Didn't hear anything back so emailed GWR couple of days ago. They emailed back quickish saying I've not been successful unfortunately. Gutted to say the least. Wonder only knows why they kept me hanging so long when i wasnt successful and would they have even informed me had i not emailed them. Oh well.

That brings me to the next question. I have asked GWR about the assessment level and validity which they haven't got back to me yet. Does anyone on this forum know what level the assessments were by any chance, i.e standard or enhanced?

Standard psychometrics for GWR.

Sorry to hear you weren’t successful. Use it as an experience and apply for other trainee vacancies. At least you have the psychometric results! If you go for a TOC/FOC who use enhanced, you’ll (usually) only have to take the tests that you haven’t done already, and/or bump your scores up on those that require an enhanced pass (this may not be applicable depending on how you fared in the ones you have done - do example, the Group Bourden has an enhanced pass rate for some TOCs/FOCs, and you may have already met that standard with GWR, even if they don’t use it).

 

[Kae]

Standard psychometrics for GWR.

Sorry to hear you weren’t successful. Use it as an experience and apply for other trainee vacancies. At least you have the psychometric results! If you go for a TOC/FOC who use enhanced, you’ll (usually) only have to take the tests that you haven’t done already, and/or bump your scores up on those that require an enhanced pass (this may not be applicable depending on how you fared in the ones you have done - do example, the Group Bourden has an enhanced pass rate for some TOCs/FOCs, and you may have already met that standard with GWR, even if they don’t use it).

Thank you Stigy my friend that was very helpful and reassuring

 

[Nonuts]

Had my DMI in January. Didn't hear anything back so emailed GWR couple of days ago. They emailed back quickish saying I've not been successful unfortunately. Gutted to say the least. Wonder only knows why they kept me hanging so long when i wasnt successful and would they have even informed me had i not emailed them. Oh well.

That brings me to the next question. I have asked GWR about the assessment level and validity which they haven't got back to me yet. Does anyone on this forum know what level the assessments were by any chance, i.e standard or enhanced?

Sorry to read this, I hope the gutted feeling doesn't stay with you too long. Stigys words and advice (as is normally the case) is spot on. Keep your head up and I'm sure next time you're in the process you'll get there. Not very good you had to email to find out bad news but I know they are really busy at the moment and with some staff still working from home they may not have been able to liase with each other.

 

[Kae]

Sorry to read this, I hope the gutted feeling doesn't stay with you too long. Stigys words and advice (as is normally the case) is spot on. Keep your head up and I'm sure next time you're in the process you'll get there. Not very good you had to email to find out bad news but I know they are really busy at the moment and with some staff still working from home they may not have been able to liase with each other.

Thanks Nonuts your kind words are appreciated as with Stigy.

You said it in a nutshell regarding the email. They could have saved me weeks of agonising and it begs the question, how long will they have kept me hanging when they had already decided I wasn't successful. Life goes on I suppose. Back to the drawing board for me

 

[Cookie Monster]

Does anyone know which TOCs put internals before externals/and or pick out candidates in order of their scores? GWR I know do both of these, yet EMT seem to have a 'once you're in the pool, you're in and we'll pull you out in order of when you entered.' Anyone know what Northern are like in this regard?

 

[Nonuts]

Does anyone know which TOCs put internals before externals/and or pick out candidates in order of their scores? GWR I know do both of these, yet EMT seem to have a 'once you're in the pool, you're in and we'll pull you out in order of when you entered.' Anyone know what Northern are like in this regard?

I asked at my dmi if it was the case that a lower scoring internal would be ahead of a higher scoring external and was told "why would we take the lower scoring first? If you're the higher scorer you're top" perhaps an internal with an equal score to an external would have priority but otherwise I was told it's not the case

 

[G30RG3]

Deleted

 

[RupturedDuck]

..

 

[Stigy]

Hi all

long time lurker and first time poster. Had an email this afternoon to confirm that I am in the driver talent pool for GWR at Bristol Temple Meads. Being over the moon doesn’t describe this feeling. My initial application was in December 2018!

thank you for the wealth of information on the application process with TOC, in particular GWR, it has been invaluable to hear of everyone’s experiences.

the email states that as vacancies arise the candidates with the higher interview scores will be taken first from the talent pool. Does anyone have any idea how long the wait can be at this stage, or even if there is a chance that there won’t ever be an offer?

Congrats on getting in to the pool. This alone is an achievement.

Unfortunately there’s no definitive answer to your question. I was in the pool for a couple of months at the most, where others have been in it days. Some people never get offered a job at all. A friend of mine was interviewed for a different depot at the same time as me, and he’s still in the pool but has since started Driver training and completed most of it at SWR. This was January 2019 if memory serves ( a lot has happened since then lol).

 

[RupturedDuck]

…

 

[Coolseed]

I'm in the Plymouth pool and there was definitely more than 5 questions like you say! Caught me off guard!

Hi Lankywhale, I have got DMI coming up shortly. Would appreciate any information on how to prepare. Many thanks.

 

[JunnyT]

Anyone heard anything at all from any FirstGroup TOC's? Seems like all the other TOC's are getting a move on with training courses and what not

 

[irish_rail]

Anyone heard anything at all from any FirstGroup TOC's? Seems like all the other TOC's are getting a move on with training courses and what not

Serious backlog of trainees and qualifieds at present and not enough instructors to go round, so I'd be patient.

 

[ReginaldP]

Serious backlog of trainees and qualifieds at present and not enough instructors to go round, so I'd be patient.

Thanks for the update Irish Rail.

 

[Nonuts]

Thanks for the update Irish Rail.

My group started last Feb, some of us are only just doing traction now having been home learning for 40+ weeks. Others in my course won't return until June and July. Still limited to 4 max per group (opposed to the 12 per group it was). Until they can have larger groups I can't see there being a significant dent in the backlog sadly

 

[DogDays]

My group started last Feb, some of us are only just doing traction now having been home learning for 40+ weeks. Others in my course won't return until June and July. Still limited to 4 max per group (opposed to the 12 per group it was). Until they can have larger groups I can't see there being a significant dent in the backlog sadly

Which depots are your group training for, Nonuts?

 

[jacey]

i was told by a trainee driver they're going back in June or July from memory that was for Exeter & Plymouth... so i don't expect us talent pool lot will be hearing much for a while yet.

 

[Nonuts]

Which depots are your group training for, Nonuts?

Fratton and there's a Westbury and Exeter with us. Most of the Bristol and other Westbury guys I know of are May/June/July returns to training

 

[TheAnswer89]

i was told by a trainee driver they're going back in June or July from memory that was for Exeter & Plymouth... so i don't expect us talent pool lot will be hearing much for a while yet.

I wouldn't come to such conclusions. It really depends on how desperate they are in depot you are in talent pool for. Some depots might really require people to start training asap due to high demand for drivers and therefore they will push for as many trainees to start as possible. We are coming out of lockdown. Vaccine roll out is going really good, so we can see normal classes back really soon.

 

[Alex_09]

I got an email yesterday saying I’ve got a zoom interview at the end of this month.

 

[genziu8181]

Hi.
Got an email regarding recruitment. Email stated that I'm on reserve list and invite to apply for depot driver. I love it, slight concern that moving from depot to mainline will start again on Trainee Salary. Any thoughts how does it look like? Seems like becoming mainline will take 3years longer

 

[FGW_DID]

Hi.
Got an email regarding recruitment. Email stated that I'm on reserve list and invite to apply for depot driver. I love it, slight concern that moving from depot to mainline will start again on Trainee Salary. Any thoughts how does it look like? Seems like becoming mainline will take 3years longer

Not 100% but almost sure you would do your Mainline course on your depot driver wage.

Which depot is it for?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Depot Drivers will do the same course as mainline and going mainline will be a depot transfer.

All Bristol trainees who start from herein will do it this way. No more direct to mainline trainees at Bristol unless you're already training

 

[genziu8181]

Depot Drivers will do the same course as mainline and going mainline will be a depot transfer.

All Bristol trainees who start from herein will do it this way. No more direct to mainline trainees at Bristol unless you're already training

That's what I thought. I believe whole process has changed and from now will be depot first before going mainline

 

[Stigy]

Not 100% but almost sure you would do your Mainline course on your depot driver wage.

Which depot is it for?

Correct. Internal trainees to GWR will retain their salaries if it’s higher than the trainee salary. Regardless of grade.