Signalling school frequency?

[desertrat]

Hi all,

I hope you'll be able to help me regarding the Network Rail recruitment process and signalling school.
I applied for a signaller role last August, and during the interview I was told that I'd have to attend signalling school in York in February 2015. So after getting the job, I received the contract, signed and sent it back, and done the medical by mid December, but I've been told by recruitment that they're still waiting for ID (they say the resourcer will contact me for this - but it's been almost 6 weeks since initial contract sent back) and that they're still waiting for a signalling school vacancy to come up before they can give me a start date.
It seems likely I won't be able to start now in February, but do you know how often signalling school runs? Is it 3 times a year for example? I'm hoping I don't have to wait until late in the year!

Thanks in advance,
Rich

 

[Maxfly]

Hi all,

I hope you'll be able to help me regarding the Network Rail recruitment process and signalling school.
I applied for a signaller role last August, and during the interview I was told that I'd have to attend signalling school in York in February 2015. So after getting the job, I received the contract, signed and sent it back, and done the medical by mid December, but I've been told by recruitment that they're still waiting for ID (they say the resourcer will contact me for this - but it's been almost 6 weeks since initial contract sent back) and that they're still waiting for a signalling school vacancy to come up before they can give me a start date.
It seems likely I won't be able to start now in February, but do you know how often signalling school runs? Is it 3 times a year for example? I'm hoping I don't have to wait until late in the year!

Thanks in advance,
Rich

It It does seem to vary quite a bit and on how many trainees there are four a course. Would guess they are maybe waiting to get enough to make it worthwhile. Saying that our last 2 trainees were the only ones in their class, would also think it depends how desperate your LOM is to push and get you on a course.
Courses have been a popular start in June and March in my experience, hope you get a start soon.

 

[carriageline]

Hello mate! What vacancy did you get?

From speaking to a couple of people the other day, there is a few people waiting to start courses. Since it's all at york now, and the other centres have shut, they can only offer less courses!

Just keep waiting, and keep ringing them. You won't get on their nerves, they will understand and they are generally a good bunch. If you need the recruitment phone number drop me a PM.

The course is (generally) 13 weeks long, so I would guess they are every 13 weeks (unless they run multiples at the same time with staggered dates!)

 

[desertrat]

cheers Maxfly...hope I can make the March course then!

carriageline - Ah it's a kinda relief to know that there are other people waiting to start the courses too, and I think you might be onto something with course starting every 13 weeks - makes sense to me. The vacancy was originally based in Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, although I've been told that I'd been working at a different location (which happens to be closer for me anyway)
I badgered recruitment yesterday who said they'd ask "Operation Training Services" regarding the course dates, so will update if they get back to me!

 

[carriageline]

Lovely stuff mate. Give them a day or two and then give them a ring again and make sure they are doing it!

As I said, it's quite a busy time atm and another posted the other day saying he was waiting a start date! But don't fret, they won't forget about you and you will get in. It is well worth the wait!

Regarding course length, they are generally 13 weeks (11 weeks absolute block, 1 week location specific stuff (AC/DC/level crossings etc) then 1 week track circuit block. They do run just TCB courses which is around 8-9 weeks I believe!

Good luck, you will get there! I know it's a pain waiting for it all thinking you may be forgotten about, but the manager wouldn't let them!

 

[Olga]

As said, 11 weeks of school, then a week of crossings ac/dc etc.

Track Circuit conversion is usually afterwards. Not everyone does this.

York is a great facility, modern and everything is available in terms of resources.

They have 3 rooms with AB Frames set up, and think there are 2 TCB set ups.

Definitely at least 3 groups run at once, with differing start dates, and they were taking more trainers on late last year, so there'll be plenty more starting!

Enjoy!

 

[desertrat]

Hi, just a bit of an update.
All the pre-employment checks have gone through and I'm just waiting to start signalling school now. Over 2 weeks ago, I was told that failing March, I should be able to start in April, but I've not heard anything since and I'm getting anxious as April's not far away! I did phone up HR last week, and they informed me that they're still waiting for a place to come up...but the previous conversation implied an April start.
My question is: is it common to start signalling school x months after accepting contact/completing pre-employment checks? Has anyone gone (or going) to the York school this year?
Thanks

 

[Bluejuice]

Hi Desertrat

I'm a new starter so may well end up on same course with you mate!!!

 

[pdbaggett]

Yeah im waiting too.

 

[TomBoyd]

All I can say is enjoy it guys! It is not a difficult course, and you're under very little pressure. The job is very different!

 

[Todo Recto]

All I can say is enjoy it guys! It is not a difficult course, and you're under very little pressure. The job is very different!

Care to elaborate ?

 

[TomBoyd]

On which, the course or the job?

 

[Todo Recto]

On which, the course or the job?

I'd be interested in hearing about both cheers

 

[TomBoyd]

Well, the course is awesome. I had 6 other guys on mine, aged 19-39, all hilarious and decent people. Put up in a nice hotel with free food, it's like a bloody holiday!

The course is a mix of classroom learning, which ranges from lectures to interactive stuff. There's also some bollocks in there, in the form of team building and silly, primary-level activities, but it's all good fun if you don't take it too seriously.

On the practical side, there's a lot of simulator work. Some of us took to it like a duck to water, some struggled and had to apply themselves harder. We all found it very enjoyable, so there was never a shortage of volunteers to help on the simulator.

There's also a huge amount of comms work, mostly while in the simulator. If you have confidence issues on the phone, as one of our guys started with, rectify them. Being a signaller is about being in control.

Some of the notes from NR say you'll be expected to come in early and leave late, getting time on the simulator. While on a few occasions some of us stayed late, we never, ever came in early.

You'll also have to occasionally apply yourself in the downtime to reading and learning the rules. There's not a huge amount of pressure to do so, as there is no pass fail test anymore, but I heartily recommend doing so, as the job demands an exceptional level of knowledge. That said, I didn't apply myself that much, and I caught up easily enough while on the job.

Having said all that, the group behind us had a very different experience. Their guy pushed them harder, they came in early and left late on most days. While we played board games in the hotel restaurant, they pored over rule books. So maybe I got lucky with a good group.

The main thing is that the fear is gone. There's essentially a 0% of getting kicked out (except for the obvious drink and drugs stuff) as all the exams are pretty much out. So kick back and enjoy 3 months on full pay in a hotel!

 

[Todo Recto]

Well, the course is awesome. I had 6 other guys on mine, aged 19-39, all hilarious and decent people. Put up in a nice hotel with free food, it's like a bloody holiday!

The course is a mix of classroom learning, which ranges from lectures to interactive stuff. There's also some bollocks in there, in the form of team building and silly, primary-level activities, but it's all good fun if you don't take it too seriously.

On the practical side, there's a lot of simulator work. Some of us took to it like a duck to water, some struggled and had to apply themselves harder. We all found it very enjoyable, so there was never a shortage of volunteers to help on the simulator.

There's also a huge amount of comms work, mostly while in the simulator. If you have confidence issues on the phone, as one of our guys started with, rectify them. Being a signaller is about being in control.

Some of the notes from NR say you'll be expected to come in early and leave late, getting time on the simulator. While on a few occasions some of us stayed late, we never, ever came in early.

You'll also have to occasionally apply yourself in the downtime to reading and learning the rules. There's not a huge amount of pressure to do so, as there is no pass fail test anymore, but I heartily recommend doing so, as the job demands an exceptional level of knowledge. That said, I didn't apply myself that much, and I caught up easily enough while on the job.

Having said all that, the group behind us had a very different experience. Their guy pushed them harder, they came in early and left late on most days. While we played board games in the hotel restaurant, they pored over rule books. So maybe I got lucky with a good group.

The main thing is that the fear is gone. There's essentially a 0% of getting kicked out (except for the obvious drink and drugs stuff) as all the exams are pretty much out. So kick back and enjoy 3 months on full pay in a hotel!

Interesting. Sounds a positive learning experience. Did it actually equip you well to do the job once you started ? Or did the 'real' learning start when the job started ? Do you enjoy it ?

 

[Tomnick]

It certainly wasn't a bad experience! Stick together as a group on the course, help each other out (and if there's another group 'behind' you, help them out too) and you'll breeze through it. I've always found it useful to talk someone who's struggling through some of the more complicated bits, as it really consolidates your own knowledge. You can't fail (most of) the course, but you certainly can make a mess of your rules exam back home before you're let loose on your own!

We spent a little while going over things in the hotel each day (with the aid of a bell that we'd 'borrowed' from the reception!), then for the rest of the evening interspersed general conversation with some quite in-depth rules discussions over the dinner table and the odd pint or two in town (bearing in mind the D&A policy...!!). All very civilised!

 

[TomBoyd]

As per usual, other Tom is spot on

As for the job...

The course goes you a good grounding, and the job is designed with a training period that lasts as long as necessary. I have been in my current box for about 8 months and will finish my training next week. This doesn't reflect on my ability, just the complexity of the role (honest)!

It will vary box to box, but the job ranges from dull, through awesome, to insanely stressful.

At the best of times you have enough time to do everything, communicate with people you like, and engage in the parts of the job you enjoy. (Actually at the best of times you have **** all to do and can **** about however you like as long as manager isn't around.)

At the worst of times, you have trains on fire in a station, sets of points out and track circuits down. You have 3 different people in 3 different locations asking for 3 different things and Delay on your back wondering why the **** the trains aren't moving.

I love my job.

 

[Tomnick]

It's often said 95% of what we know is only used in 5% of the time (or something like that), and I think that principle's quite true. As Tom says, when everything's running smoothly, it's all pretty relaxed and routine - although there's very few days (in anything other than a low-grade box with no regulating responsibility) when there won't be anything running out-of-course and requiring decisions to be made, it's still all very much under the umbrella of 'normal working'. Days from Hell are relatively few and far between, although those unfortunates in higher graded powerboxes and signalling centres will no doubt have slightly higher stress levels (I'm quite happy with my relatively peaceful existance working grade 3 and 4 boxes, thanks!). When things do go very wrong and it resembles the Day from Hell, I find it actually very satisfying to deal with and keep the job moving in challenging circumstances (and the time flies by!).

It is, I think, the best job in the world .

 

[desertrat]

Finally got a start date for signalling school - 1st June (presumably at York)
Hope you guys get a date soon, and might see you there!
Edit - cheers for the information on the course and job Tom - very informative!

 

[pdbaggett]

Finally got a start date for signalling school - 1st June (presumably at York)
Hope you guys get a date soon, and might see you there!
Edit - cheers for the information on the course and job Tom - very informative!

really hope I can get on that intake would be a perfect time for me. Just had my medical last wedensday so everything pre-employment has been completed, fingers crossed I find out soon. Really hope its no longer than June :roll: my contract ends in january lol

 

[TomBoyd]

I'm glad you found that informative, it was pretty fun to write! Well done for the course mate, welcome to the company at last!

A little tidbit I heard is that there aren't enough courses being run at the moment. We have a new recruit waiting and the LOMs are thinking about running a course in house! Big things are afoot, and it's not all that great!

 

[desertrat]

fingers crossed for ya pdbaggett!
Well Tom, about 3 months ago I went to see a couple of signallers, and they heard that there's over a year's waiting time to start school for those applying now. Hope it's not true - surely they'd lose people to other jobs by then!

Before starting school I'm spending a week at the box - I suppose you don't know what I'd be doing do you? I guess it's learning a bit of local knowledge and getting to know the team, but I can't imagine I'd be that helpful!

 

[pdbaggett]

fingers crossed for ya pdbaggett!
Well Tom, about 3 months ago I went to see a couple of signallers, and they heard that there's over a year's waiting time to start school for those applying now. Hope it's not true - surely they'd lose people to other jobs by then!

Before starting school I'm spending a week at the box - I suppose you don't know what I'd be doing do you? Iguess it's learning a bit of local knowledge and getting to know the team, but I can't imagine I'd be that helpful!

I really hope it doesnt take that long im at the end of my tether with my current job. Not sure how it would work out with my contract aswell seeing as it was only for a year to begin with.

 

[TomBoyd]

fingers crossed for ya pdbaggett!
Well Tom, about 3 months ago I went to see a couple of signallers, and they heard that there's over a year's waiting time to start school for those applying now. Hope it's not true - surely they'd lose people to other jobs by then!

Before starting school I'm spending a week at the box - I suppose you don't know what I'd be doing do you? I guess it's learning a bit of local knowledge and getting to know the team, but I can't imagine I'd be that helpful!

Depends on the box. If it's a lever frame, they'll probably start getting you learning bell codes and pulling a few levers too

 

[carriageline]

As Tom said. They will start you with the very basic stuff, so you have some sort of idea when you start signalling school.

They will probably get you to set a couple of routes, learn the service and the boxes little quirks. Nothing intensive at all

 

[pdbaggett]

Any one else any further forward yet? My application still shows as "pre employment checks underway". Shouod i ring HR up maybe and see if there are any problems, not that there shouod be. Would really like a start date so i can leave my current job though...

 

[TomBoyd]

I rang HR every day for a week, to the point where they knew my name. They are a lovely, if almost utterly useless bunch. Keep bugging them.

 

[desertrat]

I was ringing up very often too, and I'd advise you to do the same.
With mine, I'd been waiting weeks for HR to supposedly liaise with a resourcer about some pre-employment checks, and it was only when I phoned up HR and pestered did the resourcer realise he had do the next stage of the process, not HR!
On another note - Tom, when did you get official information about signalling school (location etc)? Was it your first week at the box or did HR send it beforehand?

 

[TomBoyd]

I got a big 'joining pack' with all the details. I didn't spend any time in the box before or during Signalling School. The box was so basic, I could have passed out without going to signalling school!

 

[pdbaggett]

what's the best number to contact HR on? I just looked through my offer pack and there are about 4 different numbers for HR departments