Ha really quick if you look through the forum pal! I wish you the best of luck with your application. As far as FGW recruitment needs are concerned that's anyone's guess. If your internal perhaps an informal chat with a DTM if your on friendly enough terms may shed a bit more information, although not conclusive they may have a slight idea of some future recruitment plans.
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First Great Western - Trainee Drivers
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Well, there are rumours flying everywhere in engineering at the moment in light of recent events, it's even been bandied around that they are looking to recruit 400 drivers, but I would take that with a hefty pinch of salt. All I know is I'm bricking it about my assessments on Wednesday, and I'm usually quite calm about these things.
I think that figure you've heard could be the total number they were looking at when they started advertising over 18 months ago. Goodness knows how long you'd wait if they started looking for 400 as of now. I'd love to know the total number currently sitting with a DM pass but not having done a medical. Anyone know?
Starting from now? How likely do you think it is that qualified drivers will want to transfer into FGW in great enough numbers to satisfy the requirement for 400 in total?
There are massive changes coming to engineering in the next franchise, and massive changes to the fleet, I doubt they want 400 drivers, I know of people in my depot that are, and have been in the talent pool for over a year, hence why I don't understand the recent recruitment drive to stick yet more people in the talent pool for 'possible' trainee driver vacancies, I also don't understand the point of going through a rigorous recruitment process, being successful, and then being put on a reserve list, to possibly never get a job, but as I've said , I've started, so I'll finish, hopefully I'll be successful and become a driver before our redundancies kick in.
Yes, with the new franchise, a privately funded fleet, yet to be approved by the dft will replace the hst fleet, and because Hitachi are maintaining their own trains, landore and old oak common are shutting down, and plymouth will drastically reduce it's staff. Having spoken to two people on my depot, one is currently on the reserve list, and the other guy passed got put on the reserve list and was categorically told, 'he printed the email and let me read it' there were no vacancies, but as soon as one became available, he would go straight to interview for the job. He then told me after a year of waiting some fully qualified driver vacancies were advertised, so he phoned HR to see what was going on, and they told him the email was sent in error and he was never guaranteed a job, his two years is over, and if he wants to re apply, he has to go through the whole process again. Pretty shoddy recruitment process if you ask me.
The hst's are going, can't see then not going to be honest. They've already broken the news and put processes in place for voluntary redundancies and re location etc
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Spoken at length with the hss fleet manager today about the new franchise, and fgw have committed to 100 extra new vehicles, so by 2017, along with natural wastage, 400 drivers seems a reasonable number.
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After 18 months you kind of get used to it.
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From what I heard from someone just in training there never was a May course, next was going to be (note I didn't say "is") in June.
Where did you apply for spikes dad? I know someone quite well who is starting on the 13th April course and he said he will pass on any gossip flying his way.
Can't imagine there will be another course until at least a couple of months after, so if I was to hear anything wouldn't expect to recieve the news till late May with an end of June/beginning of July start.
I just wish I knew where I stood in terms of my interview. I know my assessments where all passed at the higher standard, but I took the old style tests so how they would compare to the new ones I don't know.
Can't imagine there will be another course until at least a couple of months after, so if I was to hear anything wouldn't expect to recieve the news till late May with an end of June/beginning of July start.
I just wish I knew where I stood in terms of my interview. I know my assessments where all passed at the higher standard, but I took the old style tests so how they would compare to the new ones I don't know.
I've applied for Westbury, at my interview the end of May was mentioned as a possibility for the next course, but it was stressed only a possibility.
I also asked at my interview about how I'd done on my assessments, purely out of interest, I was basically told I'd made it to the interview so I had nothing to worry about. If I'd known at the time the significance of what my scores meant I might have pushed a bit for more info.
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Johncleesefan
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Was my first day today. Had the jitters this morning but had an awesome day. Bring on tomorrow.
Lucky boy.
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It's today, they're gonna phone today, I know it
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