I disagree that the graduate is NOT the ideal candidate - they might be excellent - but equally that person may well not be. You just can't draw any definite conclusion until they start. Anyway, the main thing I wanted to ask is whether The Railway actually does very much to encourage progression internally, or is there essentially some kind of "wall" between those who are largely in offices and those largely out there on the actual railway. Without wishing to sound in any way disparaging, but just to recognise the point you made about experience, there are probably a lot of drivers who have few of the transferable skills to get into more managerial roles. It's not that they couldn't potentially do such work but 30 years of driving trains means they know about what they would be managing but maybe haven't acquired some of the more general skills that management also needs. However, based on the few drivers I know and much of what has been said in this forum over several years, drivers are entering these days with a far wider range of qualifications and often at an older age with a number of previous job roles. This must represent a major talent pool for other parts of the business: they have the skills and a wider experience to make them a decent manager, potentially at least, but also a few years out there driving the trains so that they undertand what they are making decisions about.
There is no *wall* per sé but unless you particularly wish to follow a management career path there is little *incentive*.
For my own role, guard. I come to work, do what is asked of me, earn a bit of overtime and the second I put my ticket machine in unless I am taking part in something like project work which I have been known to from time to time to help out my work is done.
If I was to become my manager I would earn a smidgen over my basic wage, and in real terms, quite a large pay cut. It requires on call work, dealing with sickness, disciplinaries and investigations. I would have to be on call and available to turn up whenever. I would have work to complete to a deadline.
I've been asked many times if I would consider applying for management grades and the answer is always no.
With the exception of driver management, which is often seen as an alternative role for those who are bored of/don't actually like driving that much (as well as some perfectly credible people who actually want to do the job I must say) you get very little progression from anyone except those who want to escape shift working, because it isn't really progression. I earn about 10 grand a year *more* than my manager.