GWR - Trainee Train Driver (Talent Pool) - Bristol/Westbury (27/02/23)

[eastersunday]

How realistic is it that there will be a number of training courses starting this year for people who have applied to this advert? It does say 2023/24...

 

[Diedinium]

Bristol management won't, due to a couple of recent trainees who said they would and then didn't.

Great, a few people ruining things for the rest of us

How realistic is it that there will be a number of training courses starting this year for people who have applied to this advert? It does say 2023/24...

I have a feeling that this talent pool is more of a "just in case" for them, so if they don't get enough internal trainees they'll only pull from it then - GWR seem to almost never do street to seat hires, I think the last time they did was in 2017?

 

[eastersunday]

They binned off 99% of the internal applications for these depots and have now advertised externally. Some very sour taste in mouths at work this week.

Be. Very. Careful.

However this makes me think otherwise. It does seem like they've changed their minds for some reason and are going down a different route. Perhaps the internal applicants weren't good enough? Or a change of business strategy? Either way, if they were looking for internal applicants in November last year and now they've decided to change 3-4 months later and go external, there must be courses starting this year. I doubt they'd have started recruiting in Nov 2022 for 2024

 

[387star]

They binned off 99% of the internal applications for these depots and have now advertised externally. Some very sour taste in mouths at work this week.



Be. Very. Careful.

Easier to get your key elsewhere then come back in a few years?

 

[800301]

Bristol management won't, due to a couple of recent trainees who said they would and then didn't.

East do and have done, at the end of the day it’s in the contract and mentioned multiple times that you may lose your job if you fail to relocate within the time given.

While I know it’s different for everyone, having a commute of over an hour in my eyes is a bit nuts considering you are doing shift work, at least being based at Bristol you’d have the benefit of that being the depot you do the majority of your training at

Great, a few people ruining things for the rest of us


I have a feeling that this talent pool is more of a "just in case" for them, so if they don't get enough internal trainees they'll only pull from it then - GWR seem to almost never do street to seat hires, I think the last time they did was in 2017?

I’m an External, there is another in my group too, the group after us has at least 2 externals as well and the group after that has 1, we’ve all started recently

 

[JH-OB]

Great, a few people ruining things for the rest of us


I have a feeling that this talent pool is more of a "just in case" for them, so if they don't get enough internal trainees they'll only pull from it then - GWR seem to almost never do street to seat hires, I think the last time they did was in 2017?

I know of 2 in the last 2 years, not Bristol though.

 

[800301]

I know of 2 in the last 2 years, not Bristol though.

I know of at least 3 that are in a group for Bristol that started last year

 

[Carl98k]

There's been a few qualified come to Plymouth, though most people relocating prefer to move to Cornwall so gravitate to Par or Penzance. There is still ALOT of outstanding training for the trainees at Plymouth, largely thanks to covid, but I reckon once this all evens out, they will start to take on again.

That’s good to know. I’ll send you a DM

 

[A_nita]

There's no way all those questions in the second test can be answered right? The idea is just to get as far as possible? I didn't keep count, but I got somewhere between 15-20 answered.

Also, did you get an email after completing the second test? Kinda odd that I didn't get any sort of confirmation.

Hi Diedinium,

I did the SJT assessment, I’m now waiting to hear back. What are the tests after this one? Any tips. Thank you

 

[Diedinium]

Hi Diedinium,

I did the SJT assessment, I’m now waiting to hear back. What are the tests after this one? Any tips. Thank you

The second test is a data checking exercise, you're given small data sets and have to look through for errors - definitely make sure you do this on a laptop or computer.

 

[MostlyHarmless]

Great, a few people ruining things for the rest of us


I have a feeling that this talent pool is more of a "just in case" for them, so if they don't get enough internal trainees they'll only pull from it then - GWR seem to almost never do street to seat hires, I think the last time they did was in 2017?

They've taken on quite a few externals on East and LTV over the last couple of years. Not sure about West though, and I know they had a freeze on it last year.

 

[Liam00086]

Great, a few people ruining things for the rest of us


I have a feeling that this talent pool is more of a "just in case" for them, so if they don't get enough internal trainees they'll only pull from it then - GWR seem to almost never do street to seat hires, I think the last time they did was in 2017?

I applied for the 19/20 talent pool from the street and was successful, I did get caught up in the covid saga, but been qualified over a year now.

 

[Diedinium]

Well guess I don't pay as much attention as I thought then lol, good to hear it's possible!

 

[RAN357]

Hi all, just completed the error/data checking test but didn't manage to answer all 50 questions in the 10 minutes allocated is this normal as I honestly can't see it would be possible on a laptop to achieve? 12 seconds per question having to scroll up and down as the page doesn't fit on screen, click multiple box's is good going.

 

[bcfc171081]

Hi all, just completed the error/data checking test but didn't manage to answer all 50 questions in the 10 minutes allocated is this normal as I honestly can't see it would be possible on a laptop to achieve? 12 seconds per question having to scroll up and down as the page doesn't fit on screen, click multiple box's is good going.

I think the test is about testing your ability to not panic and get correct the ones you manage to do. Imo impossible to do all 50

 

[Deea]

There's no way all those questions in the second test can be answered right? The idea is just to get as far as possible? I didn't keep count, but I got somewhere between 15-20 answered.

Also, did you get an email after completing the second test? Kinda odd that I didn't get any sort of confirmation.

Same here. Got an email after passing first test with the second but nothing after that. It’s been a week since I submitted them and I got no reply back. Does it normally take this long ?

 

[bcfc171081]

Same here. Got an email after passing first test with the second but nothing after that. It’s been a week since I submitted them and I got no reply back. Does it normally take this long ?

Yes, and GWR are normally good and sending email when you’re out of the running. Patience is key

 

[Deea]

Yes, and GWR are normally good and sending email when you’re out of the running. Patience is key

Yes, and GWR are normally good and sending email when you’re out of the running. Patience is key

yes I’m thinking that if i somehow failed those 2 online tests they would’ve told me by now but since I got no reply I’m having big hopes that I will be invited for the next stage

 

[Haru]

Internals are being invited for interviews so it is moving.

 

[Deea]

Internals are being invited for interviews so it is moving.

Oh since this week? I applied externally. Im guessing that if I failed those initial test they would have let me know by know?
Also if they are invited internal candidates for interviews why did they posted external? It is just in case they don’t have enough people?

Internals are being invited for interviews so it is moving.

I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing . I’m very new to all of this. Just found this forum today haha

 

[Haru]

in the past when I Have applied to GWR they always picked internal first, rest assured plenty of externals get in!

 

[Deea]

in the past when I Have applied to GWR they always picked internal first, rest assured plenty of externals get in!

Thanks for the reply. I will be waiting patiently then. This forum is a life saver so happy I found you guys! Makes waiting a bit better

 

[MrPointment]

I also in the last couple of days have applied for this talent pool. Completed the SJT and immediately got an email invite to do the error checking. Like a few others have said in this thread, I at best got maybe halfway through the questions on the error checking before it timed out. I'm also of the opinion that it must be to weed out the people that rush through and make mistakes, and is to identify people that take a bit longer and get fewer answered but answered correctly. Hoping to find out soon if I get any further in the process.

 

[eastersunday]

in the past when I Have applied to GWR they always picked internal first, rest assured plenty of externals get in!

Do you have any idea how many training courses are running this year and when? I know the advert did say courses starting in 23/24 and beyond. And GWR are known for keeping people in talent pools for years, quite a few on here have waited around 2 years before being picked

 

[BoTheRigger]

Been waiting three and a half years in a talent pool at Gloucester. Applying now for the Bristol pool. The waiting can be so disheartening but We live in hope!

 

[Deea]

Been waiting three and a half years in a talent pool at Gloucester. Applying now for the Bristol pool. The waiting can be so disheartening but We live in hope!

3 years and a half? Omg that is a lot. Is this very likely to happen? Here I am putting all my hopes and dream onto this

 

[jezzer34]

3 years and a half? Omg that is a lot. Is this very likely to happen? Here I am putting all my hopes and dream onto this

I have also been waiting over 3 years in a talent pool with GWR with little recruitment planned last i heard, however i have used the assessment passes from the application in 2019 to secure another Train driver job so for sure while sat in a Talent pool get active with those passes.

 

[Haru]

Do you have any idea how many training courses are running this year and when? I know the advert did say courses starting in 23/24 and beyond. And GWR are known for keeping people in talent pools for years, quite a few on here have waited around 2 years before being picked

No idea sorry, I don’t work for for GWR but I have lots of friends there and know an internal applying.

 

[eastersunday]

No idea sorry, I don’t work for for GWR but I have lots of friends there and know an internal applying.

Oh okay no worries. Maybe your friend might ask at interview, it will be interesting to find out. Hopefully external applicants are called up for interview soon

 

[bcfc171081]

I have also been waiting over 3 years in a talent pool with GWR with little recruitment planned last i heard, however i have used the assessment passes from the application in 2019 to secure another Train driver job so for sure while sat in a Talent pool get active with those passes.

Exactly just getting the assessment pass would be a bonus