Trainee Train Drivers (Talent Bank) - Avanti - Multiple Locations (02/10/22)

[Sorcerer]

Only live today and will close as soon as they get enough applicants. Consider this to also be a megathread for any future situations relating to the positions.

Open for Euston, Liverpool and Manchester.

Find your dream job

 

[Southern Dvr]

I notice looking at the criteria for Euston that you have to be within 60 minutes of the depot and be able to make your way to work even when public transport isn’t available. For a Central London depot this will put some people off. Congestion Charge and ULEZ will be an issue and I’ve no idea if there’s staff parking at Euston.

 

[Indistinct]

There is some parking and it’s inside ULEZ but just outside of CC zone.

Taxi agreement for late finish/early starts, not sure on exact times though.

 

[mrredrunner100]

Well that was a rush! Just applied for Euston. Did anyone receive a confirmation email though?

 

[Mbay]

Trying to register and it says invalid credentials.

 

[Sorcerer]

Trying to register and it says invalid credentials.

I had similar issues with my applications at first. I had to use another email to set up a new account to apply. I doubt I'll get the job even but at the very least I wouldn't have gotten it at all if I hadn't given it a go.

 

[Horizon22]

I notice looking at the criteria for Euston that you have to be within 60 minutes of the depot and be able to make your way to work even when public transport isn’t available. For a Central London depot this will put some people off. Congestion Charge and ULEZ will be an issue and I’ve no idea if there’s staff parking at Euston.

Night bus? You’ll find a lot of very early shifts do that if there’s no parking. Or 24h Thameslink from nearby St Pancras and walk.

 

[43066]

Night bus?

AIUI they have parking and ULEZ/C charge can be avoided. Or as you say nightbus. They used to have a taxi agreement but it sounds (from someone I know who joined and promptly left again) like that isn’t being honoured for new joiners.

EDIT: I’m talking here about Euston only. No idea about other locations.

 

[Sorcerer]

What exactly is the taxi agreement? I myself considered buying an electric bike seeing as I don't have a car or license. Also, when it says Liverpool depot, does that mean you have to turn up to Lime Street station at the start of shift or do you go to Edge Hill instead in the event of an early start or late finish?

 

[Class2ldn]

You'll always have 1 main source of point for booking on, some companies maybe all I dont know will let you book on at other agreed locations like the depot where the trains are held overnight etc, for liverpool you might book on and its taxi to the depot for first train etc, dont know the location at all so just guess work but thats generally what happens at places. I'm not sure where the drivers depot is up there but if you need to book and then get to train at a different location it will all be factored into the diagrams

 

[Neatro]

Well that was a rush! Just applied for Euston. Did anyone receive a confirmation email though?

I applied but didn't get a confirmation email but checking the application history it's on there.

Trying to register and it says invalid credentials.

I tried logging in with my usual email address and it said password incorrect, but it wouldn't also let me use the forgot password bit.

I just used another email address and registered that way and went through the application to submitting it

 

[Wave01]

Anybody know what the salary structure is like during training?

 

[REO Nate]

Anybody know what the salary structure is like during training?

39k by the looks of it.

Also stuck an application in for Euston

 

[Wave01]

39k by the looks of it.

Meant the structure itself as to when it goes up. for example - 39k for 6 months then 45k for 6 months then 55k for 6 months then 58k for 6 months and then upto the newly qualified salary.

Wondering whether it’s 39k for the full 2 years or not. Other tocs have a sliding scale varying between full salary after 2 months or full salary after 2 years. Anybody from avanti able to give an insight?

 

[dereksingh291]

When would Avanti want people to start for Euston, Manchester & Liverpool? I am also aware that they will be recruiting for Wolverhampton in the new year.

 

[Sorcerer]

So hours after trying to ask for a password reset did Avanti finally send me an email for it after I had to use another account. They also sent me a vacancy alert for Liverpool even though hours before I got one for Euston for some strange reason. My point being that I wouldn't give up hope if you didn't receive an immediate confirmation email because they seem to be taking their sweet merry time.

 

[D Rivers]

Anyone know if Avanti use any extra psychometric tests? I’ve passed with xc in 2020.

 

[Frankie4763]

Anyone know if Avanti use any extra psychometric tests? I’ve passed with xc in 2020.

Looking at the Wolverhampton thread they make you retake them. Plus you don’t do MmI, it’s called CBI (or something similar, can’t remember)

 

[REO Nate]

Meant the structure itself as to when it goes up. for example - 39k for 6 months then 45k for 6 months then 55k for 6 months then 58k for 6 months and then upto the newly qualified salary.

Wondering whether it’s 39k for the full 2 years or not. Other tocs have a sliding scale varying between full salary after 2 months or full salary after 2 years. Anybody from avanti able to give an insight?

From the Wolverhampton thread… 17/01/22

40k starting Salary

54k once you sign your core route (about 1 year after starting as trainee)

62k after 2nd Year

67k after 3rd Year.

 

[Frankie4763]

Looking at the Wolverhampton thread they make you retake them. Plus you don’t do MmI, it’s called CBI (or something similar, can’t remember)

Scrap that…it appears that if you meet their enhanced standard you should be ok but you’ll have to do the CBI, even if you’ve done an MMI

 

[WombleGuard]

Hat in ring for Euston here

 

[Neatro]

So hours after trying to ask for a password reset did Avanti finally send me an email for it after I had to use another account. They also sent me a vacancy alert for Liverpool even though hours before I got one for Euston for some strange reason. My point being that I wouldn't give up hope if you didn't receive an immediate confirmation email because they seem to be taking their sweet merry time.

I think it was more the fact that so many applicant flooded their website the auto response service got overwhelmed.

I got 3 separate forgot password codes 4-5 hours after I initially applied.

 

[nb2001uk]

Yep if you have an MMI pass already you still have to do the 'harder' CBI but it overrides your MMI (i think) so if you fail it, youve lost a life and if you apply to another TOC you then have to do MMI again but if you fail it, then youre out the bag for good.

 

[Katwag1]

Yep if you have an MMI pass already you still have to do the 'harder' CBI but it overrides your MMI (i think) so if you fail it, youve lost a life and if you apply to another TOC you then have to do MMI again but if you fail it, then youre out the bag for good.

So I’ve sat assessments twice now and passed second time to enhanced including an MMI. So is that my two attempts done and not able to sit the CBI if I got to that stage? What’s the difference between a CBI and an MMI? I know it’s criteria based and multi modal.

 

[nb2001uk]

So I’ve sat assessments twice now and passed second time to enhanced including an MMI. So is that my two attempts done and not able to sit the CBI if I got to that stage? What’s the difference between a CBI and an MMI? I know it’s criteria based and multi modal.

No you can do assessments as many times as you want but get two lives if you fail any part of the assessment twice then you cannot do it again. But Avanti does CBI instead of MMI. So if you do the CBI I believe (not 100% sure) it overrides the MMI so if you fail it, that's one life gone, so when you apply to another TOC and have to do an MMI you only have one life left to get it right.

No you can do assessments as many times as you want but get two lives if you fail any part of the assessment twice then you cannot do it again. But Avanti does CBI instead of MMI. So if you do the CBI I believe (not 100% sure) it overrides the MMI so if you fail it, that's one life gone, so when you apply to another TOC and have to do an MMI you only have one life left to get it right.

So yes with confirmation: if you decide to go ahead with Avanti you have to do the CBI but if you have a MMI pass it will override the MMI. The CBI is much harder than the MMI so if you fail it , you have one life remaining when you go to do your MMI *again* when you apply for another TOC. So it's a huge risk.

 

[WombleGuard]

No you can do assessments as many times as you want but get two lives if you fail any part of the assessment twice then you cannot do it again. But Avanti does CBI instead of MMI. So if you do the CBI I believe (not 100% sure) it overrides the MMI so if you fail it, that's one life gone, so when you apply to another TOC and have to do an MMI you only have one life left to get it right.


So yes with confirmation: if you decide to go ahead with Avanti you have to do the CBI but if you have a MMI pass it will override the MMI. The CBI is much harder than the MMI so if you fail it , you have one life remaining when you go to do your MMI *again* when you apply for another TOC. So it's a huge risk.

As someone already in a talent pool for another TOC I will have to say S0D THAT to jeopardising it by taking a CBI.

 

[nb2001uk]

As someone already in a talent pool for another TOC I will have to say S0D THAT to jeopardising it by taking a CBI.

yeah its not worth the risk. Not many companies even do CBI

 

[Dyfed Jones]

Wonder if they will advertise the role for Holyhead?

 

[Sorcerer]

Considering that it's a talent pool and given Avanti's driver shortage at the present time, I do wonder how many vacancies they're actually advertising for. As for the early 2023 recruitment, I do imagine it will probably be for the other depots, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm hoping despite my somewhat indistinctive application form that I at least get to the test phases, because honestly I'd much rather fail than not get the chance.

 

[REO Nate]

Reading this thread I’ll probably pull my application.

I’m sitting in the talent pool for another TOC and don’t want to run the risk of failing the CBI and affecting the other application. Not worth the risk for me.