First Great Western - Trainee Drivers

[Termy]

Thanks guys - attended my assessment today.



The new style assessment is a bit more intensive (putting it mildly) than my previous assessment!

Last time: (as I recall it)
Group Bourdon
Trainability for Rules Parts 1 and 2
Mechanical Comprehension (now scrapped)


This time:
Group Bourdon
Trainability for Rules Parts 1 and 2
TEA-Occ (3 tests)
WAFV Vigilance Test
ATAVT Perception Tests 1 and 2
The Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE)
The Written Communications Test (WCT)
2HAND test


So the next stage - if successful - is just the MMI and DMI!

I was under the impression that the SJE, WCT and 2HAND were Stage 2 Assessments. Hmm!
I am assuming that as you were completing the assessments in Swindon that you undertook both Stages in one sweep. Here's to hoping anyway.
I assume that cause I took my Stage 1 in Reading in a hotel business centre in 2013. Passed, but was never actually offered a Stage 2 date. Can't wait to hear back as to whether or not I get to continue trying in this stage.

 

[Johncleesefan]

Thanks guys - attended my assessment today.



The new style assessment is a bit more intensive (putting it mildly) than my previous assessment!

Last time: (as I recall it)
Group Bourdon
Trainability for Rules Parts 1 and 2
Mechanical Comprehension (now scrapped)


This time:
Group Bourdon
Trainability for Rules Parts 1 and 2
TEA-Occ (3 tests)
WAFV Vigilance Test
ATAVT Perception Tests 1 and 2
The Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE)
The Written Communications Test (WCT)
2HAND test


So the next stage - if successful - is just the MMI and DMI!

That sounds like you have done both stages in one go minus the mmi.
Hopefully you wont do both interviews in the same day. That would be a right killer lol

Best of luck jaarus!!!

 

[NX]

All internal moves are on hold for the time being due to drivers who were down to move from LTV or West to HSS not wanting to when their time came. This has messed up the plans and now requires a new plan before trainees and QUALIFED externals being
Processed.

NX

 

[tlionhart]

That sounds like you have done both stages in one go minus the mmi.
Hopefully you wont do both interviews in the same day. That would be a right killer lol

Best of luck jaarus!!!

Flipping heck! Your brain must have been fuzzy at the end of that?!
Great to see things have moving along now. Where there many candidates along for the ride with you?

Best of luck!

 

[oxoneil]

All internal moves are on hold for the time being due to drivers who were down to move from LTV or West to HSS not wanting to when their time came. This has messed up the plans and now requires a new plan before trainees and QUALIFED externals being
Processed.

NX

Brilliant!!! :cry:

 

[387star]

Hdeleted

 

[oxoneil]

However DM interviews ongoing right through to early feb at least... I wonder if they need vacancies at other depots if candidates will be offered alternatives

I estimate up to twenty internals and externals waiting from previous campaigns then a further fifty odd currently being processed? pushing 100 they can pick and choose from surely?

I've been on hold since late December

My initial application was mid November 2013. DM i/v June 2014.

 

[tlionhart]

It would seem everything has been left to this year. The recruitment drive was to run for 18months. (If you re-read the job description it says that)
Also NOT ALL depots will be affected by HSS as some done have a HSS depot/base. Some maybe affected, but not all.
As for being offered alternatives, I know of those (and if you re-read past posts) some were offered alternatives as their original depot was full.
...I swear everything on this forum just goes round and round in circles...

 

[Maybe]

My application was in April 2103, and been on hold since Nov 2013! Told that I am still in the talent pool awaiting a course date, but been told that before, so just playing the waiting game like everyone else without getting my hopes up anymore

 

[oxoneil]

It would seem everything has been left to this year. The recruitment drive was to run for 18months. (If you re-read the job description it says that)
Also NOT ALL depots will be affected by HSS as some done have a HSS depot/base. Some maybe affected, but not all.
As for being offered alternatives, I know of those (and if you re-read past posts) some were offered alternatives as their original depot was full.
...I swear everything on this forum just goes round and round in circles...

Ha ha, it definitely seems like that, usually prompted by the latest rumour doing the rounds. I just want this thing to end one way or the other so this uncertainty can be removed from my life.

 

[NX]

The bottom line is, wait, wait and wait somemore.

Good luck guys.

NX

 

[tlionhart]

The bottom line is, wait, wait and wait somemore.

Good luck guys.

NX

Thanks!
That pretty much sums it up...

OXONEIL; Same here! I'm not actually fussed on the start date itself. I just want to progress to the next stage (medical) and have a signed contract with an intended date, even if that date was later this year. That way, I'm sure most of us can actually plan this year. As NX says...think we will just have to wait

 

[387star]

Good advice and at least we have heard from the interview there's two on the freightliner thread who have heard nothing from the managers interview in almost a year!

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

All internal moves are on hold for the time being due to drivers who were down to move from LTV or West to HSS not wanting to when their time came. This has messed up the plans and now requires a new plan before trainees and QUALIFED externals being
Processed.

NX

I can't speak for the LTV side but there are a number of West Drivers starting on HSS last Monday and also a number that moved across around a month ago.

 

[NX]

DMU to HS moves are on like you say, but inter depot moves with the sector are on hold.

Either way, the way they treat both trainee and qualified candidates is very very poor indeed. But let's face it, they have several hundred people in the various stages of the process, so if you don't like it bugger off is their attuide.

NX

 

[Greg1205]

Thanks guys - attended my assessment today.



The new style assessment is a bit more intensive (putting it mildly) than my previous assessment!

Last time: (as I recall it)
Group Bourdon
Trainability for Rules Parts 1 and 2
Mechanical Comprehension (now scrapped)


This time:
Group Bourdon
Trainability for Rules Parts 1 and 2
TEA-Occ (3 tests)
WAFV Vigilance Test
ATAVT Perception Tests 1 and 2
The Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE)
The Written Communications Test (WCT)
2HAND test


So the next stage - if successful - is just the MMI and DMI!

I had my MMI at the 2 stage assessement day.

 

[oxoneil]

I'm still surprised that people are still being put through the process, there must be a hell of a lot of new people required in the next 2/3 years or they just want a bloody big pool of people to choose from. I'd love to know what's going on.

 

[Run1nstar]

Hi all, thought I'd chuck in some info I got from FGW. I'm personally on hold for Padd and wanted to find out about courses etc, I was told that it is in their business plan to have courses early 2015. However they are waiting for the go ahead from higher up to proceed with contacting those on hold for medicals and start dates. Also the OPC pass is valid for 3 years with FGW (other tocs may vary) and you need to be on a course before your OPC expires otherwise you will have to retake it. So fingers crossed guys.

 

[NX]

There are issues going on within that the staff require answers to, their getting s wall of silence. So don't hold your breath an external peron getting any kind of information !

NX

 

[387star]

deleted

 

[tlionhart]

They must need a heck of a lot of drivers because if internal interviews are continuing into Feb why otherwise bother? If they wanted to cap the numbers they could cancel any more interviews as they probably have enough by now

Or they love having more as it gives them plenty to choose from rather than wasting anyone's time who knows

I give up now on trying to come up with any logical reason. If I put a pencil on things I would say feb or even March everyone will begin to hear for starts in May or even into Summer. (June/ July) giving up on trying to second guess. I'm not having my life in 2015 placed on standby. I'm carrying on like usual, booking holidays, events, the lot! If they do decide (that's a big IF) contact us, then I'll simply deal with it there and then...

 

[Johncleesefan]

aye its a tiring situation but just gotta get on with life and be wishful

 

[387star]

deleted

 

[SkinnyDave]

Anyone have an idea how many internals have been 'successful'

Let's hope not too many!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Did this guy have previous assessment passes so went dre aight to final interview or passed during previous recruitment
they have let him know he's a definite?

These are internals waiting on a course date mate not interviews or medicals they were supposed to start Jan or March but we're told it was put in hold

 

[Johncleesefan]

Just enjoyed a lovely 3 weeks off work and back to it on Wednesday and that means back to thinking what i could be doing instead. Come on contact. Please this week ??????

 

[SkinnyDave]

I do feel for you it is incredibly frustrating and all I can say is keep with it, it is worth the wait!

 

[Rocombe11]

Skinny Dave, the same thing kind of happened to you, you had your passes and were waiting on the DMI and then the no further external recruitment email came out, I received that one after taking Stage 1, was that also because they had enough internals for the course or something else? At least that email hasn't come out again! And on the plus side they are still putting people through the tests and interviews, so the intention is to recruit more. The only worry is why put more through when you have people waiting?

 

[oxoneil]

Skinny Dave, the same thing kind of happened to you, you had your passes and were waiting on the DMI and then the no further external recruitment email came out, I received that one after taking Stage 1, was that also because they had enough internals for the course or something else? At least that email hasn't come out again! And on the plus side they are still putting people through the tests and interviews, so the intention is to recruit more. The only worry is why put more through when you have people waiting?

Exactly what I'm thinking. If they need loads more drivers in the next 3 years or so then I think they'd better make it more appealing for current drivers to become DIs or there's no hope.

 

[SkinnyDave]

That did happen but I got wind of other depots and got interview month later, they then took on externally for Bristol again

Can't understand it anymore they do need a lot of drivers but so many factors going on just now..
As mentioned keep focused on it it's worth all of this

 

[Rocombe11]

That did happen but I got wind of other depots and got interview month later, they then took on externally for Bristol again

Can't understand it anymore they do need a lot of drivers but so many factors going on just now..
As mentioned keep focused on it it's worth all of this

so you changed your depot choice after applying and your DM interview? How did you manage that?