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Southeastern Railway Trainee Driver recruitment

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SPADTrap

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15 Oct 2012
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2,352
Southeastern said:
Trainee Drivers - For Future Opportunities

Job Title Trainee Drivers - For Future Opportunities
Salary £21,569 rising to 48,950
Based at Faversham
Grade Driver
Allowances No Allowance
Shifts Varied
Hours of work 35
Job Expiry Date 14 Mar 2016
Overview of the Trainee Drivers - For Future Opportunities Role

About us

Southeastern is one of the busiest commuter rail companies in the UK running more than 2,000 trains, and carrying nearly 600,000 passengers every day between London, Kent and East Sussex.

With over 4,000 employees - mostly from the communities that we serve - we work together to provide this vital service and we are looking to expand our successful team. We have a strong set of values that shape the way we run our business and guide our staff in delivering what our customers need. These are:

We care passionately about our people and our passengers
We make the difference together
We aim to be the best
Your role

Train drivers are at the heart of our business, getting our passengers to where they need to be, on time and safely. Driving a train carries great responsibility but with that comes pride and achievement, knowing that an invaluable service has been delivered to thousands of people every single day.

We’re for a great mix of talented, confident, committed men and women onto our driving team. We look for people with concentration, co-ordination and a talent for customer service too – our training provides all the skills and knowledge you'll need to operate a train.

Train Driving is a safety critical role, so you must be aged over 20 to apply

About you

To excel in your role, you will need:

To care about our customers, keeping them updated with information and advice on their journey
To have excellent communication skills
To be proactive when it comes to problem solving and decision making
To be disciplined with a healthy respect for rules & procedures
To be punctual and reliable
To demonstrate our values on a day to day basis
Hear from our team

This is what some of our existing drivers have to say....

“Training to be a driver is done by a series of modular tests, taking anything from a year to 18 months. This includes 255 hours of accompanied driving, including 40 hours in the dark.”

“Safety is a driver's number one consideration and concentration is their number one challenge. The way I look at it is that if I'm looking after my own safety, I'm looking after the customers too.”

"The biggest misconception about driving a train these days is that it's all automated. It's not. As a professional driver our responsibility is not just safety, its keeping our customers informed on how their journey is going – it makes a real difference”

“Working shifts as a driver gives me so much flexibility, I enjoy the days when I can pick my kids up from school and take them swimming”

“Team work is important! From our station staff, conductors, signallers and even our control centre - we need to communicate and work together to ensure that the customer experience is the best it can be”

Working here

You will work a varied shift pattern, which includes weekends, bank holidays and nights.

Rosters vary but are based over a 35 hour week; you will normally work one week early shift and one week late shift.

Your earliest start time could be 00:01 hrs and your latest finish time could be anytime as we operate a 24 hour railway.

As a driver your maximum shift length will be 9 hours 15 minutes and the minimum shift length is 5 hours 30 minutes.

Extra benefits

Southeastern recognises the value of every individual employee and offers benefits that reflect this.

As well as a generous salary, we offer an impressive benefits package which includes a Contributory Final Salary Pension Scheme and free travel on Southeastern, Southern, London Midland and Gatwick Express rail services. After a qualifying period, you can also look forward to reduced rate travel on other train operators, including European services – benefits which extend to family members

You’ll receive 32 days annual leave entitlement (which includes bank holidays) a proportion of your annual leave is rostered. You’ll have access to an array of discounts for retail and leisure products through our ‘Benefits for You’ scheme.

Next steps

If you like what you’ve read here and think you are the person we’re looking for then we’d like to hear from you. Also, we will only be considering applications from applicants who live within a 10 mile radius of the depot.

Please note that this post will close before the intended closing date should sufficient number of suitable applications be received. Therefore, if you are interested in applying for this role, we suggest that you do so at the earliest opportunity to avoid disapointment.

As part of our recruitment process you will complete a series of aptitude tests, and undergo a medical and drugs/alcohol screening, prior to employment

Note: Southeastern has a zero tolerance policy on the misuse of drugs and alcohol by employees, therefore you will be required to attend a medical assessment and undergo a Drugs and Alcohol Screening prior to joining Southeastern. If you fail the drugs and alcohol screening or refuse to take the test, your offer of employment will be withdrawn.

https://www.southeasternrailwaycare...2724130774C306D79414A354764516F4673616B6A4878
 

PaulJ

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Joined
20 Jun 2011
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117
Interesting! When I was 16 I had an 'interview' with BR who suggested I should I do my A levels and get a job in a bank because that's where the money is! Now at the age of 50 and potentially being made redundant this year I have to consider other options. Would it be fair to suggest that given the time and investment in training, it would be unlikely that a TOC would wish to employ a 50 year old as a trainee driver? Any thoughts???
 

Sgiot

Member
Joined
20 Apr 2015
Messages
81
Hi Paul,
I'm 49 in May and will be starting as a trainee driver in a few weeks time, so no,
I don't believe you're too old.
Best of luck.
 
Joined
17 Aug 2013
Messages
140
Would it be fair to suggest that given the time and investment in training, it would be unlikely that a TOC would wish to employ a 50 year old as a trainee driver? Any thoughts???

Your 'years to retirement' figure will be greater than the length of the concession the TOC holds, so in other words you're likely to be on the railway longer than they are!
 

theironroad

Established Member
Joined
21 Nov 2014
Messages
3,692
Location
London
Interesting! When I was 16 I had an 'interview' with BR who suggested I should I do my A levels and get a job in a bank because that's where the money is! Now at the age of 50 and potentially being made redundant this year I have to consider other options. Would it be fair to suggest that given the time and investment in training, it would be unlikely that a TOC would wish to employ a 50 year old as a trainee driver? Any thoughts???

No, there have been older trainees and if you think you can handle the job ( the job ad is actually quite good),especially with the shift work, then go for it.
 

Up_Tilt_390

Member
Joined
10 Oct 2015
Messages
923
Interesting! When I was 16 I had an 'interview' with BR who suggested I should I do my A levels and get a job in a bank because that's where the money is! Now at the age of 50 and potentially being made redundant this year I have to consider other options. Would it be fair to suggest that given the time and investment in training, it would be unlikely that a TOC would wish to employ a 50 year old as a trainee driver? Any thoughts???

I'd say you've got a good 34 years of work experience and probably stand a good chance so long as the application and tests go well. I've heard of bankers leaving their job to become train drivers, so you working in a bank (not a banker of course) might have given you good experience. You might be 50, and it might take two years to even get to driving, but they'll get a good 10-15 years out of you before retirement age, SO GO FOR IT!
 

GMT

Member
Joined
29 Aug 2015
Messages
292
Location
Kent
Hi Paul,

I'll be 51 soon and I applied (passed application but still waiting for tests) last year in June for a position of shunter driver at Gillingham depot. I work in accounts, so... more or less your situation.

It's very likely that people as 'young' as us would terminate their careers there, if successful; and I'm sure that is music for TOCs' ears.

I would have applied for that post but I live in Gillingham, which is beyond the 10 miles radius, and I cannot even think to relocate otherwise my wife would chase me with the rolling pin.

Apply and good luck.
 

rd749249

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2015
Messages
170
I'd say you've got a good 34 years of work experience and probably stand a good chance so long as the application and tests go well. I've heard of bankers leaving their job to become train drivers, so you working in a bank (not a banker of course) might have given you good experience. You might be 50, and it might take two years to even get to driving, but they'll get a good 10-15 years out of you before retirement age, SO GO FOR IT!

I start in September for a trainee driver position
 
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