Transport for Wales - Trainee Train Drivers

[Jordll52]

Excellent, thanks for that mate. Makes it a lot easier for the following week.

No probs, looking forward to meeting everyone and cracking on now.

 

[Leospinks]

Has the recruitment process finished yet? Have all staff been chosen? Anyone know?
Still absolutely no contact here, nothing from either TFW or Acorn regarding my application.

Hi mate no the recruitment certainly hasn't finished. We heard off a driver manager that the advert may go out again but not through acorn. That may be Chinese whispers tho. For people asking about online or classroom. There's no plans to do the training through teams I don't think all going to be classroom based. We're 6 weeks into ours and two people had covid and followed along on teams. So no training was missed. Its very busy atm 2 driver courses ongoing and a guard course both started Monday I think. Classes starting through 2022 and 2023. Although people may be eager to start straight away training will be alot easier later in the year as there'll be no need to learn the old traction.

 

[wobman]

Hi mate no the recruitment certainly hasn't finished. We heard off a driver manager that the advert may go out again but not through acorn. That may be Chinese whispers tho. For people asking about online or classroom. There's no plans to do the training through teams I don't think all going to be classroom based. We're 6 weeks into ours and two people had covid and followed along on teams. So no training was missed. Its very busy atm 2 driver courses ongoing and a guard course both started Monday I think. Classes starting through 2022 and 2023. Although people may be eager to start straight away training will be alot easier later in the year as there'll be no need to learn the old traction.

The training department at Chester will also move to the new premises in April with the new caf 197 sim, the 158 & 175 sims are staying in the old training centre.
There's over 115 drivers being trained through Chester training centre this year, which is a crazy amount to process.
As staff retire and leave etc there will be more opportunities, so the recruitment like you say will be ongoing into 2023.

The problems are once the trainees are out of the training centre and going with DIs.

 

[Steam Power]

Hi mate no the recruitment certainly hasn't finished. We heard off a driver manager that the advert may go out again but not through acorn. That may be Chinese whispers tho. For people asking about online or classroom. There's no plans to do the training through teams I don't think all going to be classroom based. We're 6 weeks into ours and two people had covid and followed along on teams. So no training was missed. Its very busy atm 2 driver courses ongoing and a guard course both started Monday I think. Classes starting through 2022 and 2023. Although people may be eager to start straight away training will be alot easier later in the year as there'll be no need to learn the old traction.

Thanks for that mate but unfortunately that tells me that potentially my application isn’t successful if they’re looking at re-advertising. I just find it so frustrating that I’ve had no email from Acorn for months, I think the last one was around 8 months ago stating my application was still under review. I applied for Cardiff and Carmarthen but as you can probably understand I’m seriously giving up hope of hearing anything at all; successful or not.
I’ve emailed Recruitment at TFW maybe 5 times now and I’m not getting a response from anyone. I’ve had an email from Laura several months ago stating the process will be long and over a couple of years but seriously the lack of any kind of feedback is unreal. I applied in July 2020 so it’s been 17 months already so that’s why I ask if recruitment from the original applicants has been completed but the unsuccessful ones have not all been told that they’ve been unsuccessful.
I’d really appreciate it if you know or hear if there’s going to be another recruitment drive, drop me a message so I can at least try again; all the best.

 

[jessica1306]

Hi all, just got invited to an all-in-one assessment day on 17th. Very nervous! Could anyone tell me if the Group Bourdon test is on the computer or paper for TfW? It'll be in Cardiff if that makes any difference.

Congrats to everyone who's passed so far!

 

[Plodster]

Hi all, just got invited to an all-in-one assessment day on 17th. Very nervous! Could anyone tell me if the Group Bourdon test is on the computer or paper for TfW? It'll be in Cardiff if that makes any difference.

Congrats to everyone who's passed so far!

Good luck for the 17th.
Group Bourdon is on paper. It is an A3 sized booklet with 5 pages of rows of dots.
You get 2 minutes per page and then move to the next page and so on.
You will be told to work from the top of each page to the bottom and to work from the left to the right of each row striking through any patterns of four dots with a pencil.

Take a look at the Sticky at the top of this section of the forum.
You can also Google Group Bourdon and pint off pages to practice etc.

 

[AJ1994]

Hi all,

I had a email on the 6th of Jan inviting me to an assessment day for the 17th December 2022 - but there was only 4 spaces remaining on that day so I'm waiting for a confirmation I'm on that day but if you haven't heard anything yet I wouldn't worry it's going to be a long process with all the back log they've got to get through.

 

[Plodster]

Hi all,

I had a email on the 6th of Jan inviting me to an assessment day for the 17th December 2022 - but there was only 4 spaces remaining on that day so I'm waiting for a confirmation I'm on that day but if you haven't heard anything yet I wouldn't worry it's going to be a long process with all the back log they've got to get through.

December 22!
Now that will be a long wait..

Hope you get a slot for the 17th and good luck.

 

[jessica1306]

Good luck for the 17th.
Group Bourdon is on paper. It is an A3 sized booklet with 5 pages of rows of dots.
You get 2 minutes per page and then move to the next page and so on.
You will be told to work from the top of each page to the bottom and to work from the left to the right of each row striking through any patterns of four dots with a pencil.

Take a look at the Sticky at the top of this section of the forum.
You can also Google Group Bourdon and pint off pages to practice etc.

Thank you, glad it’s on paper as screens and dots aren’t going too well together for me at the moment!

Would you say the practice tests are the same sort of dimensions as the real thing? Slightly paranoid I’m getting through 12/13 rows on the practice but the real thing will have much longer rows or something etc.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jan 2022 ==

Hi all,

I had a email on the 6th of Jan inviting me to an assessment day for the 17th December 2022 - but there was only 4 spaces remaining on that day so I'm waiting for a confirmation I'm on that day but if you haven't heard anything yet I wouldn't worry it's going to be a long process with all the back log they've got to get through.

Hi, I received the same email! It’s actually 17th January rather than 17th December; I replied to it that I’d love to come for the assessment day and the confirmation I received after read January—double checked with sender and it was an unfortunate typo! Confirmed 17th January coming up.

I’m glad it’s not December; nice surprise it was so soon after waiting since summer 2020

 

[NorthernTech]

Thank you, glad it’s on paper as screens and dots aren’t going too well together for me at the moment!

Would you say the practice tests are the same sort of dimensions as the real thing? Slightly paranoid I’m getting through 12/13 rows on the practice but the real thing will have much longer rows or something etc.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jan 2022 ==


Hi, I received the same email! It’s actually 17th January rather than 17th December; I replied to it that I’d love to come for the assessment day and the confirmation I received after read January—double checked with sender and it was an unfortunate typo! Confirmed 17th January coming up.

I’m glad it’s not December; nice surprise it was so soon after waiting since summer 2020

Nothing to worry about if you are getting 12/13 rows with little or no mistakes

 

[Burt807]

Hey all, just enquiring for a work colleague to those in the know......are TFW likely to be recruiting for Northern Depots again this year? Best of luck to all those still in the pipeline, keep the faith!

 

[Jonno271]

Passed my medical in Cardiff today

The nurse said she had a day full day of rail medicals, was anyone else there today?

Should be all set for course starting 28th Feb, anyone else on the same one?

 

[AJ1994]

Thank you, glad it’s on paper as screens and dots aren’t going too well together for me at the moment!

Would you say the practice tests are the same sort of dimensions as the real thing? Slightly paranoid I’m getting through 12/13 rows on the practice but the real thing will have much longer rows or something etc.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jan 2022 ==


Hi, I received the same email! It’s actually 17th January rather than 17th December; I replied to it that I’d love to come for the assessment day and the confirmation I received after read January—double checked with sender and it was an unfortunate typo! Confirmed 17th January coming up.

I’m glad it’s not December; nice surprise it was so soon after waiting since summer 2020

ahh I thought blimey that's a long wait haha. Unfortunately I didn't get a space but gives me time to practice now.

Where did you get the practice material if you dont mind me asking? I've seen a couple of people on here saying a couple of websites and that TFW send you some but I haven't received any from them..

Good luck for the 17th!

 

[jessica1306]

ahh I thought blimey that's a long wait haha. Unfortunately I didn't get a space but gives me time to practice now.

Where did you get the practice material if you dont mind me asking? I've seen a couple of people on here saying a couple of websites and that TFW send you some but I haven't received any from them..

Good luck for the 17th!

Me too! But at least it means that the next opportunity for you will be sooner.

They attach the practice materials via PDF to the confirmation of assessment day email—it’s fairly chunky and tells you everything to expect with a run through of the day. Handy to have even if practicing with the actual tests rather than what they give you will help a lot (group bourdon practice they give you is letters, whereas real thing is dots)

Thank you! Very nervous!

 

[Logger79]

Me too! But at least it means that the next opportunity for you will be sooner.

They attach the practice materials via PDF to the confirmation of assessment day email—it’s fairly chunky and tells you everything to expect with a run through of the day. Handy to have even if practicing with the actual tests rather than what they give you will help a lot (group bourdon practice they give you is letters, whereas real thing is dots)

Thank you! Very nervous!

Having recently been through the process, I personally found the assessments enjoyable and easier in person than I'd expected.

 

[The..Railer1]

Passed my medical in Cardiff today

The nurse said she had a day full day of rail medicals, was anyone else there today?

Should be all set for course starting 28th Feb, anyone else on the same one?

Had my medical on the same day too. was first in at 8.15am, i have my start date for April though, due to my current notice period at work.

 

[Jonno271]

Had my medical on the same day too. was first in at 8.15am, i have my start date for April though, due to my current notice period at work.

That must be some notice period!? Mine is only one month fortunately due to being on a legacy contract but I'm cutting it close with a start date of 28th Feb so hoping the contract comes through asap, notice needs to go in latest end of next week.

How did you find the medical? I was un-characteristically nervous, probably because it was such a long time coming, but the clinician was great and all passed OK.

 

[glasgowceltic1]

Has anyone starting on the 17th had their temporary staff pass yet? Had another email asking to send a photo today, I've sent that many since last year that they must have a photo of me in every office.

 

[Burt807]

I've had the letter that our trainer sent. I think we all had the same email?

 

[Plodster]

Has anyone starting on the 17th had their temporary staff pass yet? Had another email asking to send a photo today, I've sent that many since last year that they must have a photo of me in every office.

Same here

No staff pass as yet - replied agin to the mail this morning.

 

[pops123]

That must be some notice period!? Mine is only one month fortunately due to being on a legacy contract but I'm cutting it close with a start date of 28th Feb so hoping the contract comes through asap, notice needs to go in latest end of next week.

How did you find the medical? I was un-characteristically nervous, probably because it was such a long time coming, but the clinician was great and all passed OK.

Hi.
Also had my medical this week. Haven’t heard anything since though. Have you? Don’t know if I should be worried.

 

[Jonno271]

Hi.
Also had my medical this week. Haven’t heard anything since though. Have you? Don’t know if I should be worried.

I received a brief phone call to say a contract would be with me soon, but I'm starting earlier than you so I wouldn't worry. The HR team are really busy but they always get in touch in time.

Did you receive any feedback at your medical? I was told all was OK, if you had the same then there's no reason you shouldn't progress.

 

[pops123]

Got told I passed the medical. Just haven’t heard anything since. I was told that I was supposed to be on a Feb course. But maybe not she didn’t give me a confirmed date just said Feb. Maybe I’ll hear something next week.

 

[Plodster]

Got told I passed the medical. Just haven’t heard anything since. I was told that I was supposed to be on a Feb course. But maybe not she didn’t give me a confirmed date just said Feb. Maybe I’ll hear something next week.

I’m sure there is nothing to worry about pal
You will hear in the next few days probably You will get your contract and a letter offering the role subject to pre employment checks etc
I waited a week or so from medical to the contract etc coming

 

[JRogers92]

Dmi next week, the nerves are kicking in now, congratulations to you all in getting so far.

 

[Welshman1]

I got my 2nd stage on the 24th, nervous about the MMI, Good luck to everyone progressing and well done to everyone who has been successful.

 

[railwaymania27]

Good luck to all those starting a course today!

 

[Plodster]

Good luck to all those starting a course today!

Cheers Pal
On line induction today

 

[Sparky9909]

Cheers Pal
On line induction today

Yeah same here im on my teams induction

 

[wobman]

It may be worth asking if your getting tablets for course work also if your completing the recently introduced Train Driver Apprenticeships.
Good luck everyone