How to get into the Business

[Crossforth]

Hey Guys

I am, as I'm sure many people are, looking for a job and thought what better place to look than on the railways?

So I'm 17 from Leeds, what kind of work could I look for?

 

[Daniel]

....network rail apprenticeship?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

One of the Infrastructure contractors apprenticeships?

 

[Crossforth]

How would I go about getting one, who would I need to speak to/contact?

 

[E&W Lucas]

Do you want to work with the public, or do you want to work with infrastructure or machinery?

Do you have any qualifications, or are you studying for some?

 

[Daniel]

How would I go about getting one, who would I need to speak to/contact?

Google...

http://careers.networkrail.co.uk/apprentices

 

[Crossforth]

I think I would prefer working with the public to be honest

I have 14 GCSEs and 1 AS level and am currently wortking towards another 3 with the option to carry them on to A level

 

[Mojo]

If you don't have any experience working in customer-facing environments, then don't bother applying for roles (Conductor, Station Assistant, etc.) you see advertised on TOC websites as there's almost a zero chance you'll get one due to the competition and experience TOCs quite rightly require from their staff.

Obviously apprenticeship schemes are different to this as they tend to be for school leavers.

 

[Crossforth]

Ok, I have some experience with working with people (Young leader with the Scouting Association and member of the local church council) but I assume that doesn't cut it.

I think I shall be applying for an apprenticeship then soon

 

[142094]

What AS Levels are you doing? Ever thought about maybe a college or university course in management or planning?

 

[E&W Lucas]

Don't mess about, get yourself off to Uni, and get a PROPER degree, from a PROPER Uni!!!!

At 17 - 18, entry level jobs on the railway = pouring coffee on a train, or freezing your backside of on a platform. There is no guarantee that these will lead anywhere.

Can I suggest applying for the various management schemes operated by First Group, etc, post Uni?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

At 17 - 18, entry level jobs on the railway = pouring coffee on a train, or freezing your backside of on a platform. There is no guarantee that these will lead anywhere.

No. That is not true. There are engineering jobs with NR, or a contractor (see above).
Platform jobs generally lead to guard and then driver.

 

[E&W Lucas]

No. That is not true. There are engineering jobs with NR, or a contractor (see above).
Platform jobs generally lead to guard and then driver.

There may be engineering jobs, but the lad is obviously bright, and has expressed an interest in working with the public.

Progression from platform to driver should certainly not be taken for granted!

 

[GB]

Progression from platform to driver should certainly not be taken for granted!

No one has said it should be taken for granted.

At 17 - 18, entry level jobs on the railway = pouring coffee on a train, or freezing your backside of on a platform There is no guarantee that these will lead anywhere.

Further education is not the be all and end all when it comes to the railway and there is also no guarantee that a degree will get you the job you want.

 

[Hydro]

There may be engineering jobs, but the lad is obviously bright

I'm not entirely sure how to take this comment.

NR Apprenticeship was a superb foot in the door for me. If you're switched on, you can go far. There's next to no public interaction though, but you do get to see how the railway -really- runs, and get up close and personal with all manner of engineering operations that keep the railway running through thick and thin. You get some pretty decent qualifications out of it too, not just in engineering, but in management and team leadership.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

There may be engineering jobs, but the lad is obviously bright, and has expressed an interest in working with the public.

Get a degree in engineering then, and start on the railway.

Are you assuming that those without degrees are not bright? I hope you didn't mean that.

 

[Crossforth]

Thanks Guys

I'm not desperate to work with the public, it is just a lot of the things I do at the moment have a lot to do with people and I enjoy it.

Although I may keep an eye out on those NR apprenticeships as there aren't any close enough at the moment. Closest accessible one would have been London and I can't afford to live in London as much as I wouldn't mind living there and commuting would be a nightmare for shift work (coming from Leeds).

I think I would like to go to Uni, even if it is just for the experience, but what I would study I have no idea :? Time to start looking I suppose...

As much as I would like to do engineering, a lot of Uni's require you to have physics AND maths at A level and I'm not studying physics

 

[142094]

How about something like management or planning? Network Rail have graduate schemes open for both, so if you can get a degree related to those and then apply for one of those schemes after you graduate. I know a few people doing transport management/planning, and I'm sure there are a few on here that do the same courses.

 

[E&W Lucas]

Get a degree in engineering then, and start on the railway.

Are you assuming that those without degrees are not bright? I hope you didn't mean that.

No I didn't! Not the best worded post ever.

The apprentice schemes are great, but presumably open different doors to those for to graduate engineers?

General management schemes do not usually specify degree subject, but it's probably worth sounding out a few potential employers before you fill any uni applications in. Worth finding out about vac placements too.

Higher education isn't the be all and end all, but at 17 you want to give yourself as many options as you can. What you want from life will probably change over the next few years.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

No I didn't! Not the best worded post ever.

The apprentice schemes are great, but presumably open different doors to those for to graduate engineers?
.

Yes, I understand now! Graduate engineers will be designing in an office while the track based jobs are maintenance/renewals outside in the elements. Depends what you want from a job really.

 

[bluenoxid]

Thanks Guys

I'm not desperate to work with the public, it is just a lot of the things I do at the moment have a lot to do with people and I enjoy it.

Although I may keep an eye out on those NR apprenticeships as there aren't any close enough at the moment. Closest accessible one would have been London and I can't afford to live in London as much as I wouldn't mind living there and commuting would be a nightmare for shift work (coming from Leeds).

I think I would like to go to Uni, even if it is just for the experience, but what I would study I have no idea :? Time to start looking I suppose...

As much as I would like to do engineering, a lot of Uni's require you to have physics AND maths at A level and I'm not studying physics

Huh????

I was reading a news story a few months back that they were desperate for people in the Humberside area.

Are you Y12 or Y13?

 

[ascotphill]

Have a look here..


http://www.railwayregister.care4free.net/becoming_a_train_driver.htm

There are gaurds jobs often posted.. Good luck

 

[E&W Lucas]

Yes, I understand now! Graduate engineers will be designing in an office while the track based jobs are maintenance/renewals outside in the elements. Depends what you want from a job really.

Correct, and the industry needs good people in both positions. The bloke on the ground is no use, without a properly worked out scheme to implement.

 

[Dolive22]

I see you're doing maths. Are you doing M1 or S1 this year? Obviously M1 would be of most use in engineering. I think D1 would be best for train planning, but I haven't actually found anywhere that teaches it, or found out much about it.

What other AS levels are you doing? What GCSEs? Any DTs? As it sounds like the school had you down as for an academic track I suppose GCSE Engineering is too much to hope for. Double or triple science?

The NR apprenticeships have their first year at a training site on the south coast, and they then send you wherever they want to, although I think they try and fit in with your requests.

 

[ungreat]

Platform jobs generally lead to guard and then driver.

Since when?

 

[blacknight]

Don't mess about, get yourself off to Uni, and get a PROPER degree, from a PROPER Uni!!!!

At 17 - 18, entry level jobs on the railway = pouring coffee on a train, or freezing your backside of on a platform. There is no guarantee that these will lead anywhere.

Can I suggest applying for the various management schemes operated by First Group, etc, post Uni?

I presume by Uni you mean University maybe get a degree in spelling for starters but comes with price tag of a shed load of debt.
Todays university degree as been devalued as majority are just rebadged rebrick Polytechnics.
What customer facing skills would be gained there over 3 years of a business management course
Why would you want that just for meaniless title of junior manager don't make you station master & come a recession or franchise hand over its managers who move on.
Railways might not need a paper shuffler but will always need platform staff.
As for freezing your your backside of thats winter only, you get a great tan in summer months & they pay you for it aswell. So if job oppotunity comes up just take a chance & go for it.
Today railways need railway men & women not another business graduate with degree in bean counting

 

[Dolive22]

Those polytechnics produced a lot of the engineers that designed the rolling stock used today and the tracks they run on. Incidentally Network Rail send their staff off to Sheffield Hallam, a former poly.

Having said that, I agree with you somewhat about the business management degrees.

 

[blacknight]

Those polytechnics produced a lot of the engineers that designed the rolling stock used today and the tracks they run on. Incidentally Network Rail send their staff off to Sheffield Hallam, a former poly.

Having said that, I agree with you somewhat about the business management degrees.

Polythnics date back to my era late 70's pre Thatcher Britain when there was a requirement for engineers to go into manufacturing sector but back then we factories & works for them to go into to learn skills.
Now everyone wants to be a manager not a mechanic case of to many chiefs not enough braves
Where factories once stood sites have been redeveloped into retail parks & everything is geared up up to service industry.
As a boilerman Engineer was a title my father was proud of whereas these junior managers come in on a project leave job half done before moving onto next one.
Dont think Manager as same ring as my dad said word manager came from the Latin word to Manage ie to just get by.

 

[Dolive22]

You don't have to make things here to design them here. Designing things is one of the few things we are still good at in this country. And train maintenance is still supervised by chartered engineers.

Nowadays I don't think ECUK would like that use of engineer.

 

[blacknight]

You don't have to make things here to design them here. Designing things is one of the few things we are still good at in this country.
Nowadays I don't think ECUK would like that use of engineer.

If we are going to find employment in this country for this genoration of 17 year olds we are going to have to restart both the designing & building things in this country. This is not helped when Government places orders overseas that could of been built in this country.
How can you have modern apprenticeships when there a few factories left manufacturing things in this country