GWR Train Driver talent pool

[Nonuts]

GWR accept the results for 5 years already.

To echo what you said, this is a pain for everyone and will no doubt have a knock on effect. I just have the sim to go then passout but I’m envisaging August/September at the earliest at this rate. Initially I was booked to take my sim assessment on 1 April and I was expecting to passout this month at the latest.

Ah! Fair enough mate. When I was an SWR guard I was told they accepted it for 3 years and only Freightliner accepted it for 5. Misinformation. It's painful for us to have gotten to the academy and had to sideline but it must be excruciating for you!

Still, you look cheerful enough on the Monday 9am check up

 

[Stigy]

Ah! Fair enough mate. When I was an SWR guard I was told they accepted it for 3 years and only Freightliner accepted it for 5. Misinformation. It's painful for us to have gotten to the academy and had to sideline but it must be excruciating for you!

Still, you look cheerful enough on the Monday 9am check up

SWR is 3 years (partly the reason I jumped ship to be honest lol), Freightliner, DB Cargo and several others are 5. It ranges from 1 to 5 years but I’ve not seen a TOC or FOC less than 3. I’ve heard GWR sometimes make you resist them regardless though, which seems strange and it certainly wasn’t the case for me.

Haha, cheers....wouldn’t say I’m cheerful, more that I’ve accepted what’s happening

 

[dan2610]

I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for 2021 at some point, which is what I was expecting from the start before Covid really affected the UK.

Five years from my first tests will take me to September 2024, so I have plenty of time to wait. I’m lucky in the sense where I’m not desperate to leave my current job so I will just take it as it comes, others might not be so fortunate.

 

[Nonuts]

I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for 2021 at some point, which is what I was expecting from the start before Covid really affected the UK.

Five years from my first tests will take me to September 2024, so I have plenty of time to wait. I’m lucky in the sense where I’m not desperate to leave my current job so I will just take it as it comes, others might not be so fortunate.

You should be fine then. This whole Covid thing will eventually end and I doubt anyone will eat a diseased bat again so fingers crossed its quick for you

 

[dan2610]

You should be fine then. This whole Covid thing will eventually end and I doubt anyone will eat a diseased bat again so fingers crossed its quick for you

Hopefully, although it’s never guaranteed until you actually start!

Hopefully you can get going again before too long, I can’t imagine how frustrating it is to just get into the swing of things and then have a prolonged absence.

 

[dan2610]

I’ve noticed that the wording for the vacancies for qualified drivers has changed for most stations on the FirstGroup website.

It previously said “Qualified Driver - West” or “Qualified Driver - Central”. However it’s now grouping stations together for qualified talent pool positions.

Whether this has any particular significance, or is just in response to the current Covid situation, I don’t know.

 

[Nonuts]

I’ve noticed that the wording for the vacancies for qualified drivers has changed for most stations on the FirstGroup website.

It previously said “Qualified Driver - West” or “Qualified Driver - Central”. However it’s now grouping stations together for qualified talent pool positions.

Whether this has any particular significance, or is just in response to the current Covid situation, I don’t know.

It could be because they've harmonised the grade across GWR in April. There were different pay grades for different areas of GWR before

 

[Mister N]

Evening chaps anybody had any news of when suspended courses are continuing or when DMI 's are planned ?

 

[Daydr3am3r]

Evening chaps anybody had any news of when suspended courses are continuing or when DMI 's are planned ?

No planned return dates at this stage. It’s on a weekly rolling basis now and will depend on when the 2 in a cab working can resume.

 

[Mister N]

Thanks for that I guess that makes perfect sense. Frustrating though as until your courses resume they sure as hell won't start anymore!

 

[G30RG3]

Hi Guys, just thought I'd keep this thread alive and add some further content...

Firstly well done for getting this far to all who are awaiting interviews/start dates...

I'm currently waiting on a DMI for Plymouth with GWR. My accreditation for exams lasts until 2024, so hopefully I will have an opportunity before then!

I spoke to recruitment at the start of lockdown and they were quite vague. They stated that courses were not running and any further uplift for new staff is likely to commence in 2021; depending on which depots are allocated first in the new financial year. In a nut shell the response was "you are in a talent pool and it could take some time before you receive an interview date".

Until this point things were moving relatively quickly for a talent pool with about 5 months between application and assessment.

Please keep us up to date with any relavent information & good luck on your road to train driver..!

 

[jezzer34]

Hi Guys, just thought I'd keep this thread alive and add some further content...

Firstly well done for getting this far to all who are awaiting interviews/start dates...

I'm currently waiting on a DMI for Plymouth with GWR. My accreditation for exams lasts until 2024, so hopefully I will have an opportunity before then!

I spoke to recruitment at the start of lockdown and they were quite vague. They stated that courses were not running and any further uplift for new staff is likely to commence in 2021; depending on which depots are allocated first in the new financial year. In a nut shell the response was "you are in a talent pool and it could take some time before you receive an interview date".

Until this point things were moving relatively quickly for a talent pool with about 5 months between application and assessment.

Please keep us up to date with any relavent information & good luck on your road to train driver..!

I am also in the talent pool for Plymouth, I think people need to understand we are going through a pandemic. Large companies are laying large amounts of staff of in other sectors.
The future is still uncertain with this virus and every sector or industry would of taken big financial hits.
I think a degree of realism should be expected with recruitment in any industry right now.
You have 5 years so plenty of time for things to get back to normal but in the short term i would be surprised to see anything moving in terms of employing new staff.
I am not expecting anything this year, and cross my fingers for 2021 but an open mind.

 

[Dempsy]

A friend who's halfway through their rules at the driver academy told me it looks like some courses are resuming soon but with a backlog and reduced class sizes. So things are starting to move again but I'd guess it means that the wait in the talent pool is still going to be a while

 

[G30RG3]

I am also in the talent pool for Plymouth, I think people need to understand we are going through a pandemic. Large companies are laying large amounts of staff of in other sectors.
The future is still uncertain with this virus and every sector or industry would of taken big financial hits.
I think a degree of realism should be expected with recruitment in any industry right now.
You have 5 years so plenty of time for things to get back to normal but in the short term i would be surprised to see anything moving in terms of employing new staff.
I am not expecting anything this year, and cross my fingers for 2021 but an open mind.

Good to hear from someone in the same pool. I don't fully understand how many sit in a talent pool at any given time however I am realistic about time frames and additional waiting due to Covid. I'm not expecting to hear anything until after the new fincial year in 2021. Looking at it as a noveltly as I am fortunate enough to have maintained my employment throughout the pandemic. I feel for those who were more dependant on these positions & it really is an unprecedented time. However things will pick up again & drivers will be required. Prior to this there was a national shortage of drivers and it appears that the southwest depots are often looking for drivers. Hopefully this will stand us in good stead.

Out of curiosity when did you sit your assessments & MMI?

All the best with your position.

 

[jezzer34]

Good to hear from someone in the same pool. I don't fully understand how many sit in a talent pool at any given time however I am realistic about time frames and additional waiting due to Covid. I'm not expecting to hear anything until after the new fincial year in 2021. Looking at it as a noveltly as I am fortunate enough to have maintained my employment throughout the pandemic. I feel for those who were more dependant on these positions & it really is an unprecedented time. However things will pick up again & drivers will be required. Prior to this there was a national shortage of drivers and it appears that the southwest depots are often looking for drivers. Hopefully this will stand us in good stead.

Out of curiosity when did you sit your assessments & MMI?

All the best with your position.

Yeah i think patience is key! no idea on talent pool size etc assessments and mmi etc sat in November 2019. Dmi Feb 2020

 

[Lufcman]

I’ve just applied for Par. It was the only one recently advertised that didn’t state ‘Talent Pool’ is this a typo or are there genuine vacancies here. If so. Why don’t people want this depot?

 

[Busandrail]

I’ve just applied for Par. It was the only one recently advertised that didn’t state ‘Talent Pool’ is this a typo or are there genuine vacancies here. If so. Why don’t people want this depot?

i do...

Currently most the way through rules course awaiting return.

From what little iv seen of par depot and its staff, it seems like a great depot. Lots of variety of work and traction.

 

[Daydr3am3r]

A friend who's halfway through their rules at the driver academy told me it looks like some courses are resuming soon but with a backlog and reduced class sizes. So things are starting to move again but I'd guess it means that the wait in the talent pool is still going to be a while

Classroom training may return shortly, but then everything will grind to a halt again.....

 

[tiptoptaff]

Classroom training may return shortly, but then everything will grind to a halt again.....

I'm back in next week for an interim.

Handling will resume course by course, apparently. As and when they can. Did you get the email today from RP about it?

 

[G30RG3]

Yeah i think patience is key! no idea on talent pool size etc assessments and mmi etc sat in November 2019. Dmi Feb 2020

I'm awaiting a DMI after passing in Feb 2020 so looks like a different intake. Well done on passing your DMI

 

[irish_rail]

Classroom training may return shortly, but then everything will grind to a halt again.....

I have to say that's what I think too. As long as covid is here I just cant see a way of training drivers due to having two people in the cab. Drivers have already made clear they wont be giving up their trains to instructors if that then means travelling in the train as a passenger. There is also a HUGE backlog of qualified drivers now off trains and having lost competency for a variety of reasons, and these will of course take priority.

 

[G30RG3]

It really does seem that the GWR talent pools are a lottery as to how long you are kept waiting. Shame as clearly a lot of people very keen to start. Guess the important thing now is to be patient & prepared to sit it out.

Can anyone offer any advice on the DMI and what I could be studying in the meantime?

I've also heard members saying that you are more likely to get called if you score high - is this with regards to assessment results or strictly the DMI scorings?

 

[TheGoldfish]

Assume it’s a cumulative scoring of all the elements of the application process ... but yes, I think if you go into the pool with a fairly low score ... anyone entering it after you with better scoring will just push you down the list .... given that they seem to recruit into them every year ... those that just scraped a pass will probably never rise to the top and get a call .....

 

[dan2610]

Assume it’s a cumulative scoring of all the elements of the application process ... but yes, I think if you go into the pool with a fairly low score ... anyone entering it after you with better scoring will just push you down the list .... given that they seem to recruit into them every year ... those that just scraped a pass will probably never rise to the top and get a call .....

Each recruitment drive has a different pool per depot and is ranked based on how you scored in assessments.

Even if you were the very bottom of the 18/19 pool, for instance, you will still rank above the highest scorer of the 20/21 talent pool. Obviously your assessments could end up timing out, but if you scrape through your will not remain last out of every single future candidate over the next 4/5 years.

 

[Mister N]

That's very interesting Dan do you know that as fact or is it your opinion? I must say I very much hope your right. I passed MMI in Jan of this year for Westbury but still waiting DMI. Applied originally in Feb 19 so it's been painfully slow progress which has made me think I may have only scrapped through. But as I'm from 2019/2020 talent pool if your right that gives me more hope of getting there one day.

 

[dan2610]

That's very interesting Dan do you know that as fact or is it your opinion? I must say I very much hope your right. I passed MMI in Jan of this year for Westbury but still waiting DMI. Applied originally in Feb 19 so it's been painfully slow progress which has made me think I may have only scrapped through. But as I'm from 2019/2020 talent pool if your right that gives me more hope of getting there one day.

I had my DMI in January this year and was asked what my understanding was of what being in a “talent pool” meant.

The two DMs interviewing me told me that if successful I would be in the 2020/21 pool, and that there were still two candidates for my depot from the previous pool and that they would be starting before anybody successful from my pool.

 

[Mister N]

Thanks for that Dan that has deffo given me more hope. Congrats on passing your DMI hopefully I will get mine sooner rather than later. I was all ready for it but I need to go over it again as it was months ago, did anything strike you as odd in your interview or was it like others have described on this forum? Any pointers would be much
Appreciated.

 

[dan2610]

Thanks for that Dan that has deffo given me more hope. Congrats on passing your DMI hopefully I will get mine sooner rather than later. I was all ready for it but I need to go over it again as it was months ago, did anything strike you as odd in your interview or was it like others have described on this forum? Any pointers would be much
Appreciated.

No problem, what depot are you waiting on? The only information I’ve heard regarding selection from talent pools is from the two that interviewed me, but I can only assume it works the same throughout all FirstGroup recruitment.

I personally found the DMI more laid back and informal. It was still structured in the sense of set competency based questions, but the discussion that followed my answer was more conversational, as opposed to the robotic, script-reading nature of the MMI.

I kept the same set of experiences to draw on as I did for the MMI, but also learnt a lot about the company and specific details/statistics. I don’t think you actually need to go too specific in researching the company in hindsight, as when I gave figures about rolling stock, stations, passengers etc, the DMs said they’d take my word for it as they had no clue themselves!

 

[Stigy]

I'm back in next week for an interim.

Handling will resume course by course, apparently. As and when they can. Did you get the email today from RP about it?

I can’t see the rationale behind bringing people back with their groups. It would make sense if everybody sat their assessments at the same time and were on an even keel with driving hours, but that’s seldom the case at the moment. Initially we were told it would be based on priority in terms of who’s at which stage of their hours, meaning those who have had their 150hr assessment drive would be prioritised as they will be due to pass out next.

It should, in theory be as it was pre-lockdown, but the railway being as it is, I think we all know it won’t actually work like that. I’m at a depot where I could potentially be passed out very quickly as we have a couple of DIs knocking about, and only me who’s at 200hrs of driving.

It’ll all work out in the end one way or another I’m sure.

 

[Daydr3am3r]

I'm back in next week for an interim.

Handling will resume course by course, apparently. As and when they can. Did you get the email today from RP about it?

Yes mate. As we have completed Interim 1 and were stopped on Intro to Handling there is no way forward for us at this time until the two in a cab is sorted. Basically my group is bottom of the priority list as we can’t be brought back for anything at this stage. It is what it is and I’m pretty chilled out about it to be fair, nothing I can do at this stage.