Transpennine Express New Trainee Driver Vacancies

[W230]

Re the free travel for you and spouse that most TOCs offer, is this offered from day one, ie from when you start training? And if you do not have a current 'spouse', can you give it to a close family member, such as Daughter or Mother?

There was no probationary period for the PRIV benefits I got with the First Group TOC I work for. Dependant children (in full time education/under 16 plus a couple of other circumstances) generally get their own pass as well on top of your main nominee. I think you may be able to nominate someone else to use the pass - I don't think it necessarily has to be partner/spouse etc but i'm not sure.

ATOC would be the people to tell you for definite, though it wouldn't stop me applying if I wanted the job - benefits or not!

 

[KT530]

There was no probationary period for the PRIV benefits I got with the First Group TOC I work for. Dependant children (in full time education/under 16 plus a couple of other circumstances) generally get their own pass as well on top of your main nominee. I think you may be able to nominate someone else to use the pass - I don't think it necessarily has to be partner/spouse etc but i'm not sure.

ATOC would be the people to tell you for definite, though it wouldn't stop me applying if I wanted the job - benefits or not!

Me neither - my app is already in!

It's handy knowing though as it's a pretty substantial benefit.

Thanks for the info W230 and Pumbaa

 

[sw1ller]

Has anybody heard anything yet?? I'm probably WAAAY too early but thought I'd ask.

 

[Lincoln_biker]

Has anybody heard anything yet?? I'm probably WAAAY too early but thought I'd ask.

Not that I've been checking EVERY day.... Nothing as yet. Probably far too early! :roll:

 

[sw1ller]

Not that I've been checking EVERY day.... Nothing as yet. Probably far too early! :roll:

Yes, Me too, I'm just being impatient. I want to be a driver yesterday!!!

 

[Dazza]

Just wondering, once a trainee completes the 12 month training, how many months or driving hours do you need to complete to reach the status of Qualified Train Driver?
Did I read 225 hours somewhere?
Regards.
Daz.

 

[sw1ller]

Just wondering, once a trainee completes the 12 month training, how many months or driving hours do you need to complete to reach the status of Qualified Train Driver?
Did I read 225 hours somewhere?
Regards.
Daz.

no. Im only in the application stage myself but what I have learnt from here is the 225-300 hour mark is during training to get you to a standard so you can pass the driving test at the end of 9-12 months. then its 2 years of being monitored and continued training before you get the status of qualified driver.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Taking into account the average yearly hours in a drivers contract is about 1600 (not all will be spent driving but most will) then you're looking at 3000+ hours to become qualified.

 

[PeteH]

250 hours at FGW as a trainee driver.

 

[Beveridges]

Its may be only about 250 hrs driving but will still take about year to become qualified due to time it takes to learn rules & traction and time it takes to sit the assessments, and things like front end turns, annual leave and other things also help to drag it out to around a year.

 

[PeteH]

Just stating the facts in my contract. No mention of 'only' from me either.

 

[LCC106]

4 months of theory, additional week of assessments, a week or so of traction conversions, 2 or 3 weeks of front end turns, 15 hours driving with manager, 230 hours with minder, a week long final assessment, several months to sign all routes, annual leave... I reckon from start date to signing final route for me will be 15 / 16 months. Also have to do 60 turns of 5 hours, I think, with no-one else in the cab, before moving on from orange cab pass. Based on another guy at work, I COULD achieve this by month 18.

 

[TDK]

Yes, Me too, I'm just being impatient. I want to be a driver yesterday!!!

Slow down fella - this will not do you any good at all

 

[sw1ller]

Slow down fella - this will not do you any good at all

I know. I'm sorry. Think i'm just getting fed up with my current job now. I will be more patient in the future I promise.

 

[Redmatador]

Not that I've been checking EVERY day.... Nothing as yet. Probably far too early! :roll:

Anybody heard anything yet?
How long does the shortlisting usually take?

 

[Daniel84]

Nothing for me, from looking at the last recruitment thread it seemed that people started to be invited for the fault finding quite soon after the closing date, others were informed they were unsuccessful after that and some were left in limbo for quite a while. As nobody on here has been invited for anything yet, they must still be reading through the applications.

 

[sw1ller]

Nothing for me, from looking at the last recruitment thread it seemed that people started to be invited for the fault finding quite soon after the closing date, others were informed they were unsuccessful after that and some were left in limbo for quite a while. As nobody on here has been invited for anything yet, they must still be reading through the applications.

hope so, suppose it takes a while to sift through 5000 applications. I just need to know if what I put in the app was good enough or not. If not I need to know asap before I jeopardize future apps.

 

[andrewg70]

This was a response I had today by email;

Thank you for your application for the position of Trainee Train Driver with First TransPennine Express.

This was a very popular position to which we received a large number of applications at a very high standard.

Whilst your application met the shortlisting criteria, on this occasion, other candidates scored more highly and we are therefore unable to progress your application further at this time.

All our vacancies are advertised on our careers page www.firstgroup.com/careers. On this site you can register for job alerts so you are automatically notified of relevant vacancies as soon as they become available.

Thank you again for your time and interest, we wish you well with your job search.

Kind regards

FirstGroup Resourcing Team

 

[Nuttytoffee]

Sorry you didn't make the cut. Don't give up mate.

 

[Neil73]

This was a response I had today by email;

Thank you for your application for the position of Trainee Train Driver with First TransPennine Express.

This was a very popular position to which we received a large number of applications at a very high standard.

Whilst your application met the shortlisting criteria, on this occasion, other candidates scored more highly and we are therefore unable to progress your application further at this time.

All our vacancies are advertised on our careers page www.firstgroup.com/careers. On this site you can register for job alerts so you are automatically notified of relevant vacancies as soon as they become available.

Thank you again for your time and interest, we wish you well with your job search.

Kind regards

FirstGroup Resourcing Team

Jeez entering this career seems to be such a difficult nut to crack. If you've met the required criteria at the sift stage (evidently you have)! but still cannot get through the door then there must be some seriously outstanding candidates in the running.

Obviously it goes without saying but sorry to hear of your application result Andrew.

 

[TDK]

Jeez entering this career seems to be such a difficult nut to crack. If you've met the required criteria at the sift stage (evidently you have)! but still cannot get through the door then there must be some seriously outstanding candidates in the running.

Obviously it goes without saying but sorry to hear of your application result Andrew.

The sifts are marked in general with a grade, I used to do it 1 - 10 and this is why you will find say a guard scores highly in the sifts as they have evidence of meeting the sift criteria as they are doing the same shifts, can get to work on time, have experience with customers etc. With so many applicants it is a very difficult task to sift out say 60 from 500, I have mentioned this before but the main reason for not making the sift is an incomplete form.

 

[sw1ller]

Sorry to hear this Andrew. Hope this doesn't put you off applying, there are hundreds of people on here with amazing jobs that failed time and time again. Its all about being persistent and not giving up. Sounds like you did very well but your app needs tweaking very slightly to stand out in future. Good luck mate.

 

[PeteH]

Just keep trying.

I first applied to a First Group TOC in Jan '12. Got past the first sift and put on a 'holding' short-list.

Passed DB Schenker pvt driver assessments in Feb '12.

Applied to Northern, got through the online tests only to be told the position was no longer available.

Applied GA and didn't hear a dickie bird.

Applied to FTPE and got a flat rejection.

Applied to FGWR, a week after FTPE, got an acceptance email a couple of days after the FTPE rejection - I start Feb at my 'dream depot*' Oxford in 4 days time.

*grew up in Ox', love the Cotswolds, many family members thereabouts.

Sometimes there seems no rhyme or reason** to the vagaries of selection. Just remember the guys and gals have a whole p*ss pot load of applications to go through, it ain't a personal thing to not get it first time out, and there does seem to be an element of randomness, with NO offence meant to anyone in the biz!

**I know, there is, but think of it from the applicants point of view!

 

[sw1ller]

Just keep trying.

I first applied to a First Group TOC in Jan '12. Got past the first sift and put on a 'holding' short-list.

Passed DB Schenker pvt driver assessments in Feb '12.

Applied to Northern, got through the online tests only to be told the position was no longer available.

Applied GA and didn't hear a dickie bird.

Applied to FTPE and got a flat rejection.

Applied to FGWR, a week after FTPE, got an acceptance email a couple of days after the FTPE rejection - I start Feb at my 'dream depot*' Oxford in 4 days time.

*grew up in Ox', love the Cotswolds, many family members thereabouts.

I bet Monday can't come soon enough! Congratulations Pete. hope it all goes well for you mate.

 

[Neil73]

The sifts are marked in general with a grade, I used to do it 1 - 10 and this is why you will find say a guard scores highly in the sifts as they have evidence of meeting the sift criteria as they are doing the same shifts, can get to work on time, have experience with customers etc. With so many applicants it is a very difficult task to sift out say 60 from 500, I have mentioned this before but the main reason for not making the sift is an incomplete form.

Yes it might be difficult to sift 60 from 500 but what i am saying is if an applicant has met the criteria (which Andrew has) and STILL cant get through to the next stage then its a bloody tough industry to conquer. Thats all I'm saying. We've gone past the 'incomplete application form' haven't we?!

 

[sw1ller]

Yes it might be difficult to sift 60 from 500 but what i am saying is if an applicant has met the criteria (which Andrew has) and STILL cant get through to the next stage then its a bloody tough industry to conquer. Thats all I'm saying. We've gone past the 'incomplete application form' haven't we?!

............... There's a bit..... BIT of a chance its a general E-Mail response. If I had 5000 to get through id have a nice polite rejection letter to send out!! I'm speaking from many
rejection

 

[Neil73]

Yep yep fair enough. Anyway, just wondering if anybody else has had an email yet??

 

[Dazza]

Nothing for me yet, I'm checking my inbox all the time!!
Good luck everyone!
Daz

 

[KT530]

Nowt yet

 

[TDK]

Yes it might be difficult to sift 60 from 500 but what i am saying is if an applicant has met the criteria (which Andrew has) and STILL cant get through to the next stage then its a bloody tough industry to conquer. Thats all I'm saying. We've gone past the 'incomplete application form' haven't we?!

Yes but unfortunately there were better candidates for the role, when you get a popular position like a train driver vacancy it is only the best suitable candidates that go forward. The more applicants the more dissapointments.

I have sifted thousends of form in the past and graded the forms and have had to drop good candidates because there were higher scoring candidates. Yes, you have gone past the incomplete form however it is still the highest sift fail reason,

 

[Bert and Ernie]

Not for me yet