A level choices for rail sector?

[stainedtp]

I'm in Y11 and supposed to be picking A level choices in about a month, are there any A levels that might benefit an application to working on the railway? Thanks in advance

 

[AlterEgo]

What do you want to do on the railway?

 

[stainedtp]

Driving, guarding, I'm open to anything on the operations side of things really

 

[jjjjjjonny]

Honestly not really, maybe geography or travel and tourism? Really I'd say try and get any job in the railway and work your way up.

 

[AlterEgo]

Driving, guarding, I'm open to anything on the operations side of things really

Nobody will ask about your A Levels for these roles. You'd be best off taking up a hobby which involves managing risk or safety or machinery operation if you want something to talk about at interview though.

 

[Trainguy34]

In a similar situation here (Y11), does anyone have any recommendations for trying to get into the operations/planning sector? Currently planning on an apprenticeship at 18 but who knows.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I know a bit about this stuff because of my job. It does depend on your GCSE results but Uniformed Public Services would be a good bet, it is a level 3 course equivalent of an A level depending on where you take it and the exact course. A lot of sixth form colleges offer it and you can study it with A levels (usually another two).

It does very much depending on what you want to do within the railway. However for a lot of jobs I think any A levels or level 3 courses would be fine, if you get decent grades it will demonstrate that you are good at learning, hard work and you can process information. What GCSEs are you currently taking as that will give us an idea of what you're interested in. I can't really help with railway specific requirements but I do know a fair bit about level 3 education.
No matter what if you get good A levels/BTECs it will give you a lot of options when you're 18. Apprenticeships are another route but I have no idea what options they are for railway specific jobs other than perhaps the engineering side of things. My expertise is really in 16-18 education.

 

[stainedtp]

Thank you all for the help so far, really useful

What GCSEs are you currently taking as that will give us an idea of what you're interested in.

Currently taking geography (which is my main thing), electronics, computer science and spanish as a language
Core subjects are English lit & lang, Maths (maybe further maths), triple science

 

[Trainguy34]

Currently planning on Geography, Physics, Maths and Computing A-Level. I'm doing GCSE French, Geography, DT/Product Design, Computing, Triple Science, English Lit and Language aswell as Maths if anyone has any other suggestions?

 

[MerlinRail 804]

I’m currently in y12, so I don’t have that much experience to speak from, but as someone who also want to get into driving/operations one day, I can say that I chose music, music tech, and computing, simply because these are the three that I felt like I was going to enjoy the most/hate the least. I went with this because roles such as driving don’t seem to need much in the way of academic qualifications, so by doing the subjects that I can enjoy and get decent grades in, I give myself some space to do other things that i’d hope would help with giving myself the best chance for applying to the railway later on, eg work experience and volunteering at a heritage railway.

 

[35B]

Parent of two recent A-level students here. Speak to the school or college about future prospects of different subjects, but try to do subjects that (a) you’re good at and (b) enjoy.

You’ll spend 8 hours a week studying them in lessons, plus homework, so it’s worth finding something you enjoy and are good at. If you get the job you want, it won’t matter; if you don’t, then they’ll put you in a better place for whatever comes next.

 

[WAB]

In a similar situation here (Y11), does anyone have any recommendations for trying to get into the operations/planning sector? Currently planning on an apprenticeship at 18 but who knows.

Unless you're very keen on the university route then into a graduate scheme, go for the apprenticeship. General good grades will do fine for most ops jobs. For train planning, something STEM-based would be good to show your problem-solving and analytical skills. Focus on choosing subjects that you're likely to do well in and enjoy.

I'd think more about getting any work experience opportunities that come up, or any extra-curricular/volunteering activities that show your commitment and skills. Take a look at job descriptions for roles you're interested in and how you could start building up practical examples of you using these skills.

Driving, guarding, I'm open to anything on the operations side of things really

Good GCSEs in English and Maths will more than do for this. Focus on the practical skills, and anything academic that will get you an alternative job - it can be a bumpy road to getting these sorts of jobs.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 22:11 ==

For train planning, take a look here:

SWR train planning trainee

I know GTR and SWR routinely advertise for train planning trainees/apprenticeships, and you often don't need more than GCSEs although A-levels can help too.

 

[Rab Smith]

Physics. You can never go wrong with a Physics qualification. Opens up so many jobs in the technical side of railway employment.

 

[35B]

Physics. You can never go wrong with a Physics qualification. Opens up so many jobs in the technical side of railway employment.

IF you have an aptitude for the subject

 

[TheSmiths82]

Thanks for both replies. You're both fairly similar in terms of academic ability and subjects you're studying. My advise would be to look at local sixth form colleges as they are likely to offer a much wider range of A levels than a school can offer. Maths and Computer Science are probably good ones as is Physics. In terms of trains I am not sure Geography would be helpful but there would be no harm in studying if you're really interested in the subject. It is better to take subjects you are passionate about rather than struggle taking one you hate.

That said I know people who work in the logistics side of transport planning who have degrees in Geography. Computer Science is always worth studying but there will be a lot of maths content on the A level course. Physics would be useful I again only if you're passionate about the subject.

Edit is nice to see electronics still being offered at GCSE level. I studied that 30 years ago and it has been very useful in life in general. It is a hobby now though and I rarely use those skills in work but they still come in handy.

I think my general message is at A level study the subjects you enjoy and are passionate. The jump between GCSE and A level is huge and that is why you study less subjects. The students who love the subject are often the ones that get the best grades. If you haven't already I would advise you to go to as many open events as possible to get a feel for colleges and the courses they offer.

 

[35B]

Thanks for both replies. You're both fairly similar in terms of academic ability and subjects you're studying. My advise would be to look at local sixth form colleges as they are likely to offer a much wider range of A levels than a school can offer. Maths and Computer Science are probably good ones as is Physics. In terms of trains I am not sure Geography would be helpful but there would be no harm in studying if you're really interested in the subject. It is better to take subjects you are passionate about rather than struggle taking one you hate.

That said I know people who work in the logistics side of transport planning who have degrees in Geography. Computer Science is always worth studying but there will be a lot of maths content on the A level course. Physics would be useful I again only if you're passionate about the subject.

Edit is nice to see electronics still being offered at GCSE level. I studied that 30 years ago and it has been very useful in life in general. It is a hobby now though and I rarely use those skills in work but they still come in handy.

One of my kids did Geography A-Level, and has taken the subject on to degree level. If you think you might be a) interested and b) have good enough grades to carry on to university, it's worth thinking about where the transferable skills are - university level geographers get a lot of data and GIS mapping work, which is a very useful transferable skill.

As a general point of advice, I'd be careful not to limit your options because of what you now want to do at Year 11. Both my kids' ideas changed significantly through 6th form (one started wanting to do engineering, and ended up reading music at university), and they've also said the same about their classmates. Many careers don't become visible until later (I'd never heard of what I started doing when I was at university, let alone school), and employers will look for transferable skills rather than just whether you've done "their subject" at school.

I think my general message is at A level study the subjects you enjoy and are passionate. The jump between GCSE and A level is huge and that is why you study less subjects. The students who love the subject are often the ones that get the best grades. If you haven't already I would advise you to go to as many open events as possible to get a feel for colleges and the courses they offer.

Absolutely - this really matters. Talk to people you know about where they've been to 6th form, and what the different options are like from within, and match that to what interests you and where will support you properly to do those subjects. That's then in two ways. One is about the teaching and results - are they any good for that subject (even good schools or colleges have weak spots). The other is about the subject combinations - don't just ask "do they do X", but probe whether their timetable will allow you to do the combination you want to do.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Timetabling is a good question, I know where I work you can pretty much do any combination of the 50 odd courses with a few minor restrictions if courses are deemed too similar. Smaller places would struggle to do that. I didn't mean to sound negative about Geography, I was just meaning it is not something that is probably asked for if you go into the railway industry but it is still a respected subject. The entire point of a good level 3 education is it doesn't restrict you to what you might do in the future. What I studied at Level 3 doesn't really reflect the job I do now at all, but my degree very much does.

 

[Horizon22]

Timetabling is a good question, I know where I work you can pretty much do any combination of the 50 odd courses with a few minor restrictions if courses are deemed too similar. Smaller places would struggle to do that. I didn't mean to sound negative about Geography, I was just meaning it is not something that is probably asked for if you go into the railway industry but it is still a respected subject. The entire point of a good level 3 education is it doesn't restrict you to what you might do in the future. What I studied at Level 3 doesn't really reflect the job I do now at all, but my degree very much does.

Timetabling / train planning is one of the few railway areas where a few TOCs have placement programmes.

Here's a vacancy right now with GTR - https://www.gtrailwaycareers.com/jo...ngs-cross-east-side-offices/3737/description/

GTR's Undergraduate Placement Scheme takes place within the heart of the busy Train Planning Unit working with a team of around 70 planners. Many of these were previous placements who have returned to GTR after graduation to continue their professional development and this is something that we encourage.

We will give the successful candidates training and support to quickly become functioning and productive members of the team as they embark on their railway careers. The role is structured to deliver a wide-ranging set of work experiences, a varied workload and a broad introduction to the rail industry. For example:

• Producing documents for operational and customer service colleagues that detail short-term variations to the advertised timetable as necessitated by engineering work or special events. These contain essential information required by drivers, station staff and 24-hour controllers.
• Recording the department's Key Performance Indicators and producing related reports.
• Organising and administrating the special events planning groups.
• Maintaining and developing timetable data to inform the Passenger Information System on board our various train fleets.
• Collaborate with other parts of the organisation and industry to improve train service performance.
• Undertaking train planning activities to support the teams.

Applicants will need:

• To be a registered university undergraduate student on a degree that includes a year in industry and ideally on a transport, geography or logistics related programme.
• An understanding of the railway industry, its framework and operation.
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office, with an ability to learn additional specialist techniques and packages as required.
• An ability to learn quickly, self-organise and manage tasks efficiently.
• Analytical skills, initiative and an ability to communicate effectively.
• An accurate, clear, methodical and responsible approach to work.

The contract for the position will last from July 2027 until September 2028. A two-month overlap will occur with the present incumbents to facilitate workplace familiarisation, a smooth handover and to ease the new post holders into their role.

 

[Purplerain77]

Just putting my 2 pence in here too! Some great people responding here with some great advice! Just sharing my experience as a show that it’s truly just about you and not entirely on specific education

I never even thought of a career in the railway till I was 23 so my education wasn’t lead by any desires, I struggled at school for personal reasons and only came out with passes in gcse nothing special. This also lead to me not getting any further education after this too. However I’m now starting as a trainee driver next year.

The main thing I tell everyone that asks about this stuff is focus on being happy, gaining life and work experience in any way but preferably anything that can be linked to safety critical matters, customer service or just an eye for detail and a attitude to want to do well. As others have said, picking what you think you’ll do well on and what you enjoy is the main thing here! Of course there are a few subjects that can help like the ones mentioned too.

As we all know it can be very competitive with any role at times in this industry so being able to have a strong bank of experiences to use is very helpful. I got mine out of just doing 3 years of delivering for Tesco and being aware enough to put what I’ve learned with this towards the role I have chosen.

Yes in some cases education is wanted but then again the specifics are less important just that you did well.

I wish you and all others that have commented in a similar situation all the luck and success in the future!

 

[Rimmer]

I also wanted to add my personal experience - I'm currently a Year 13 student whose looking to leave sixth form and start a career in rail/aviation. I got solid GCSEs mostly 7/8s and because I didn't think I necessarily needed anything specific to join the railway, I chose subjects I was good at and did well in so I am studying Geography, History and Psychology.

Anyways, I've never really enjoyed sixth form, had no motivation to revise which meant I got a C/D/E in mocks a few months ago. Being pretty unhappy with my situation at the end of Year 12 (July) and turning 18 in the next couple of months, I thought I'd throw my name in the hat for a few positions. Never expected to get anywhere with them, but why not?

Fast forward to now, I've gotten to the final stages of 3 recruitment processes, with 1 in logistics for a major carrier (airfreight forwarding apprenticeship), 1 at a FOC (trainee crew rostering position - passed 2x psychometrics, an assessment day and final interview) and 1 at a major UK airline (crew controller - was 1 of 10 to be invited to the assessment day out of 181 applicants and 1 of 8 to be interviewed). Not heard back from the airline yet so fingers crossed!

In my point of view, it was my skills and enthusiasm that got me these opportunities. My biggest piece of advice would be to volunteer on a heritage railway if possible. I work as a TTI which allows me to develop my safety-critical and customer service skills simultaneously whilst working alongside current and ex-railway professionals. Also, you can get connections through working at a heritage railway and some allow you to join CIRO for free (I think, may be wrong though).

Of course, qualifications are important, but in my personal opinion, skills and experience are more desirable, but this depends on the role you are looking for (for me, it's anything operational).

Hope this helps!

 

[D1537]

Parent of two recent A-level students here. Speak to the school or college about future prospects of different subjects, but try to do subjects that (a) you’re good at and (b) enjoy.

You’ll spend 8 hours a week studying them in lessons, plus homework, so it’s worth finding something you enjoy and are good at. If you get the job you want, it won’t matter; if you don’t, then they’ll put you in a better place for whatever comes next.

A-Level teacher here. Absolutely *this*. Don't do something you might not enjoy (or be particularly good at) because you think it might be useful.

I don't suppose there are Level 3 Apprenticeships knocking about at any TOCs or other railway-related employers? I know they do some Graduate ones (Level 4).