Ultimately even if the franchise wasn't to be renewed (whatever the landscape looked like), they would still need drivers.
When Southeastern were taken over by the OLR, recruitment of staff continued as normal.
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GTR - Trainee Train Driver vacancies (07/12/20)
- Thread starter Chuchu
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Ultimately even if the franchise wasn't to be renewed (whatever the landscape looked like), they would still need drivers.
When Southeastern were taken over by the OLR, recruitment of staff continued as normal.
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RailUK Forums
They released an advert yesterday with a closing date of the 31/3 and as I understand it had already reached the required number of applicants this morning
Traffic71
Member
Seems strange when there are those still awaiting assessment days and those already in the pool.
Not going to disagree mate. I guess it might be they didn’t get enough through the initial online assessments to run the assessment centres. Or they may have additional future workforce vacancies coming up. Not sure.
Diesel1985
Member
Hi. Which Facebook group was it on?
The link was posted by a member of a non-railway related, closed group on Facebook.
I’m still awaiting an assessment day from the December 2020 application…get an email every month saying they have x amount of assessment days and I haven’t been selected at random.
Luckyflames
Member
Curious to know if it is random selection. ? Or possibly a scoring system from application & online testing ? To select assessment day participants. Thoughts ….
I was in the same position until I got an email last month. It's a long old slog. Just had my DMI this week. Awaiting the results.
Traffic71
Member
Who knows how they really operate and make their selections. The only thing any of can do/have done is wait. One concern is will those of us in the Dec 20 recruitment drive get our chances before any of the more recent advertisements?
polaris324
Member
Was the link or Facebook group targetted at a particular demographic?
What is this supposed to mean?
Yes
Diesel1985
Member
Morning everyone. I applied to the advert for Southern on Tuesday before it got pulled. I looked on here on Wednesday to see who else had applied and that's how I found out that it was closed.
My application is still live so I imagine they received so many applications that they closed it? I've no idea and don't know how many jobs are available. I'm assuming that it's going to form part of this process?
My application is still live so I imagine they received so many applications that they closed it? I've no idea and don't know how many jobs are available. I'm assuming that it's going to form part of this process?
polaris324
Member
A straightforward question and the answer from the OP was yes.
There appear to be plenty of people who applied in December 2020 and are still waiting to be "randomly" selected for an assessment day, along with others waiting each month for a start date, so I just wondered whether the new advert was particulary targetted to improve the number of applications from certain demographics.
Any candidate has to meet exactly the same standard once they get to the assessment day.
Luckyflames
Member
Which Demographic ?Yes
In that case, it’s not what I meant. It’s a page helping people from an emergency services background find work outside of the emergency services for whatever reason, and railway jobs are often shared.
The job advert itself was a standard advert by GTR which was on the recruitment pages of their website, not aimed at any particular box ticking or anything. I assumed by “demographic” was a tongue in cheek (if you like) way or asking a rhetorical question
By demographics you basically mean women and/or BAME? I've read some of your previous posts, seems like you have a bit of a grudge tbh. Do you think I was selected randomly because I fit into both of those criteria? I can assure you, I've earned my place here. I've done my time in the railway starting from the bottom to now being a trainee. And I know I'll have to be twice as good unfortunately because a lot of folks will think I am only here as a tick box exercise. And I can also assure you the white male is not a dying breed in the railway, plenty of courses had majority white male!
Without wanting to cover old ground; GTR have got form for wanting to tick more boxes than maybe they need to. Of course, people should be selected for these jobs based on ability and personal qualities, but sometimes recruiters get blinkered by this, Vs satisfying the equality bean counters.
polaris324
Member
As I clearly said at the end of my post, any candidate has got to pass the assessment and interviews to the exact same standard. So any candidate has earned their place and congratulations for getting in to a role that isn't easy.
GTR said in previous press releases and news articles they had a 50% female target for all training courses. One article I read from 2021 said 17% of applicants were female and 34% from BAME communities.
So I struggle to see how candidates are "randomly selected" on a truly equal basis if they have targets for training courses. How can you have 50% split if only 17% of applications are from females, unless you select more for assessment? Genuine question.
As an aside, as a gay male in the rail industry I have experienced plenty of prejudice and comments from colleagues, usually from older white males. But, that doesn't change my view that the recruitment process should be transparent and equal from the start.
In my view, the industry is inherently racist, sexist and various 'ists' What IS allowed is that, 'positive discrimination' is allowed. This means that any employer is specifically allowed to 'Target' any ethnic group or 'specific' demographic. They are NOT allowed to change the conditions for employment or adjust any assessment criteria. Therefore all assessments are indeed fair and equal.
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The industry - as indeed any company - will follow the 2010 Equality Act and cannot change terms of criteria for recruitment / assessments etc. which must remain fair. As stated above, this is entirely different towards an amibition for a more diverse workforce, especially in roles that have traditionally be heavily skewed to one demographic. That might encourage more adverts from groups that have traditionally not applied for certain roles.
I refer all posters to the moderation advice below as well to please remain on topic and in line with forum rules
Quite a few drivers have or are leaving/retiring TL north so I'd imagine they'd be recruiting for Cricklewood again at some point. Some of the other depots are oversubscribed so drivers moving internally won't be happening quite as much as it had been.
I guess the company will be keeping an eye on customer numbers and will constantly tinker with the diagrams which will eventually dictate the number of drivers at each depot. I expect it will probably be quite a fluid situation on the next year or two.
I guess the company will be keeping an eye on customer numbers and will constantly tinker with the diagrams which will eventually dictate the number of drivers at each depot. I expect it will probably be quite a fluid situation on the next year or two.
Luckyflames
Member
Any news mate ?
Nothing so far mate. I think the recruitment planning meeting was this week at some point.
I suspect it will be a further ‘no courses at the moment’ update.
I did hear they are currently training a couple of new classroom trainers, so that may lead to further courses in due course.
Luckyflames
Member
That’s good to hear. Hopefully sooner than later.
Anyone get any updates this month yet?
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