"Future Day" in Switzerland - could a similar plan run for UK rail?

[bahnause]

Today was “Future Day” in Switzerland.

On National Future Day, around 2,500 companies, organizations, schools and universities give interested pupils an insight into professions that are atypical for their gender. These included rail professions, whether in sales, as a guard or as a train driver.

Many of the railroads on the continent still have difficulties in recruiting staff (and also in retaining staff, but that's another topic).

As I don't have any children, I wasn't even aware of this until his morning. It was only when my ticket was checked by a very motivated eleven-year-old under supervision and the first two train drivers I relieved were also travelling with children that the penny dropped.

This is one of the few days when the children of the train drivers are allowed in the driver's cab unbureaucratically and without additional supervision.

Is there such a possibility or a similar program in the UK to create long-term advantages for the railroad in the personnel market?

Could something like this be implemented so easily for train staff?

 

[Horizon22]

Today was “Future Day” in Switzerland. On National Future Day, around 2,500 companies, organizations, schools and universities give interested pupils an insight into professions that are atypical for their gender. These included rail professions, whether in sales, as a guard or as a train driver. Many of the railroads on the continent still have difficulties in recruiting staff (and also in retaining staff, but that's another topic).

The UK tends to not suffer with railway recruitment applications & retainment, especially for drivers and signallers where there are often hundreds if not thousands of applications per position. This is also the case but to a lesser degree for guards and other frontline roles.

This is one of the few days when children are allowed in the driver's cab unbureaucratically and without additional supervision.

What do you mean by "without additional supervision"? As evidently they will need some supervision of some sort by a) being children and b) being in a safety-critical environment - you wouldn't want them touch certain buttons!

Is there such a possibility or a similar program in the UK to create long-term advantages for the railroad in the personnel market? Could something like this be implemented so easily for train staff?

I find it unlikely because I don't think there is the shortage on the severe need to fill vacancies as they arise. There is an argument that there are not enough vacancies in the first place, but that is a different question. I also think it would be a bit of a H&S nightmare and companies outside of some very very specific campaigns would not do so. However many rail companies are at jobs fairs and there's fairly healthy apprenticeship and graduate schemes for Network Rail, other TOCs and other associated railway stakeholders that tend to have decent levels of applications.

 

[bahnause]

The UK tends to not suffer with railway recruitment applications & retainment, especially for drivers and signallers where there are often hundreds if not thousands of applications per position. This is also the case but to a lesser degree for guards and other frontline roles.

That used to be the case. But around 15 years ago that changed very quickly. There are still plenty of applications, but a lot of them don't make it through the process. And turnover is way higher than it used to be. These events have changed from "nice to have" to "we have to compete for staff early on".

What do you mean by "without additional supervision"? As evidently they will need some supervision of some sort by a) being children and b) being in a safety-critical environment - you wouldn't want them touch certain buttons!

The driver is still there and it (usually) is the parent of the child. I don't think it is much harder to handle an 11 year old than my manager on a cab ride. And there is no "self destruction" button.

 

[Horizon22]

That used to be the case. But around 15 years ago that changed very quickly. There are still plenty of applications, but a lot of them don't make it through the process. And turnover is way higher than it used to be. These events have changed from "nice to have" to "we have to compete for staff early on".

I doubt it will any time soon here. There are strong railway unions that have protected a number of rights and T&Cs that have slowly been chipped away in other industries. Therefore for either junior roles or where there are more "indirect comparisons" (e.g. cabin crew vs train manager/guard or HGV/bus driver vs train driver) there are many benefits and people move over. Anyone with transferable skills (e.g. emergency services) also sees the role as a positive change almost universally in my experience.

The driver is still there and it (usually) is the parent of the child. I don't think it is much harder to handle an 11 year old than my manager on a cab ride. And there is no "self destruction" button.

Depends on their behaviour, but there's still 2 additional people in the cab. Most drivers would likely be OK with it, but there's still the union to deal with and OK it and look at any implications for H&S as I mentioned before. No of course there isn't, but there are some buttons that would affect the functionality of the cab.

 

[bahnause]

Depends on their behaviour, but there's still 2 additional people in the cab. Most drivers would likely be OK with it, but there's still the union to deal with and OK it and look at any implications for H&S as I mentioned before. No of course there isn't, but there are some buttons that would affect the functionality of the cab.

It's usually the drivers kid, so just two total in the cab.

 

[Horizon22]

It's usually the drivers kid, so just two total in the cab.

Sorry you said "usually the parent of the child"? Do you mean it's the driver's son/daughter?

 

[yorkie]

Today was “Future Day” in Switzerland.

On National Future Day, around 2,500 companies, organizations, schools and universities give interested pupils an insight into professions that are atypical for their gender. These included rail professions, whether in sales, as a guard or as a train driver.

Many of the railroads on the continent still have difficulties in recruiting staff (and also in retaining staff, but that's another topic).

As I don't have any children, I wasn't even aware of this until his morning. It was only when my ticket was checked by a very motivated eleven-year-old under supervision and the first two train drivers I relieved were also travelling with children that the penny dropped.

This is one of the few days when children are allowed in the driver's cab unbureaucratically and without additional supervision.

Is there such a possibility or a similar program in the UK to create long-term advantages for the railroad in the personnel market?

Could something like this be implemented so easily for train staff?

I very much enjoy visiting Switzerland; it is a far more pragmatic country than the UK.

The UK should emulate many of the approaches that Switzerland adopts, but the harsh reality is that the UK is sadly a backwards and overly risk-averse society, so I can't see sensible things like that happening here.

 

[bahnause]

Sorry you said "usually the parent of the child"? Do you mean it's the driver's son/daughter?

Yes, that were the rules as I know them.

 

[DMckduck]

I very much enjoy visiting Switzerland; it is a far more pragmatic country than the UK.

The UK should emulate many of the approaches that Switzerland adopts, but the harsh reality is that the UK is sadly a backwards and overly risk-averse society, so I can't see sensible things like that happening here.

You are spot on, the health and safety culture in the UK has flamed out of control.

 

[Turtle]

You are spot on, the health and safety culture in the UK has flamed out of control.

Filling in the gaps in third rail electrification immediately springs to mind.

 

[DNCharingX]

It’s crazy,

How is there the expectation that people will become interested in the train driver role if means of finding more about the job are off limits? No cab access, certainly no cab rides, not many opportunities to talk to drivers (ie on break / short turnaround), etc. Just recently, a tube driver (Dale Charman, amazing content by the way), who records their day to day on the Piccadilly Line was asked to stop doing that!

Things are somehow going backwards but maybe it’s because there will always be interested people. Maybe this is more of a problem or idea for the truly obscure roles.