PTS Work

[telecaster]

Hi Everyone,
I'm currently working in the rail industry but may be about to be displaced
Am thinking of putting myself through a PTS & Track Induction course in order to make myself qualified to work on the P Way.
Anyone else done these courses and have they got much work out of it through the various agencies out there as a result?
I've got transport and am in the SE where there always seems to be a lot of renewal work etc going on?
PLease can someome out there give me some advice based on their experiences ?
Thanks
tele

 

[Smudger105e]

if your current employer trains you in PTS etc, it will be taken off you when you leave their service.

 

[telecaster]

Thanks for the reply locofitter.
My current employer doesnt require me to have PTS, but I'm thinking that doing PTS & TRK IND, may be a way of staying in rail related employment if i'm displaced..?
Working some of the variour NR subcontractors as part of a civils gang etc is better than nothing..
Anyone else out there in this line of work, are they getting many jobs?
Cheers
tele

 

[The Snap]

Try ISS.

http://www.isslabour.co.uk/vacancies_rail.html

 

[telecaster]

Dear Rich,
Thanks very much for that.
Looks promising.
cheers
tel

 

[captainbigun]

You need a link-up approved sponsor to take a PTS course.

 

[The Snap]

Dear Rich,
Thanks very much for that.
Looks promising.
cheers
tel

No problem.

 

[telecaster]

You need a link-up approved sponsor to take a PTS course.

There seems to be plenty of training companies out there who say they are willing to also act as a sponsor & will give me numbers of a few agencies UK wide to sign up with for work,
they say get the Medical & D & A certs sorted, & they get me on PTS, and or TRK IND ( i'm guessing I have to pay for that myself).
I'm just wondering if I'll end up paying for a course, getting the PPE etc & then being a blue helmet, or not yet competent & unable to get job offers cos I've got the PTS but not the experience!!
its a bit of a maze :roll:

 

[Yew]

If you end up struggling with PTS but no experience, could some volunteering on a heritage line help?

 

[Smudger105e]

Surely, if you ahve passed the PTS course this entitles you to be on or near the track, experience is not a requirement...

 

[Hydro]

Surely, if you ahve passed the PTS course this entitles you to be on or near the track, experience is not a requirement...

It's still like any other job though, someone with experience will be more than likely preferred.

 

[telecaster]

It's still like any other job though, someone with experience will be more than likely preferred.

Yes, the dreaded blue hat.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
so,
anyone out there getting much work with just a PTS, or do you have other quals, eg cscs, coss, lkt, trk ind etc ?
any comments welcome!
tel

 

[es373]

Humm.... Where in SE are you? I know a very experienced track worker for Mcginleys Rail (or who ever they are) who works on London Underground.
I was going to go down this road but then I got my current job offer. If you could get to work for night shifts (4 hours work) in Central London then you can PM me your contact details and I can get my mate to see about contacting you?
I do know that PTS is just the basic as it allows you to be "on or near the line". There are many other things that you need to be assessed on and deemed competent. Yes, this does sadly mean taking an assessment to use power tools to then be deemed competent. (its a sick sad world isnt it?) All of these cost money -I think its on average £30 per ticket- but you can end up earning £180 a shift on a self employed basis.

There is a newspaper we get at work about railways, I shall have a look in that if I find one when I'm back in on Monday and let you know of current offers.

Cheers

Es