SWR - Trainee Train Driver (Talent Pool) - Various (23/09/24)

[Flange Squeal]

According to an article on the South Western Railway (SWR) website, talent pools are due to be advertised soon for Farnham, Fratton, Waterloo and Weymouth. So worth keeping an eye out for these if interested.

SWR sets out to recruit more women drivers​

Friday 20th September 2024

• South Western Railway aims to boost representation of women across its network with new recruitment campaign
• A new video released this week features three of South Western Railway’s women drivers who share insights into the benefits of the role and career opportunities available
• Vacancies for trainees will open in Farnham, Fratton, Waterloo and Weymouth depots

South Western Railway (SWR) is committed to closing the gender gap in the rail industry with a new recruitment campaign aimed at increasing the number of women train drivers.
Only 8% of SWR’s train drivers are women, in line with the national average. SWR is committed to increasing representation and will shortly be opening applications for vacancies in Farnham, Fratton, Waterloo and Weymouth.
To support the recruitment drive and to encourage women to consider a fulfilling career on the railway, SWR has released a new video, featuring three women drivers - Gemma, Yasel and Sally, who share their experiences, career journeys and personal and professional benefits of the role.
Gemma, who previously worked as a Guard and in the NHS, says that she finds the railway like no other place to work. Opportunities are also available to those without any previous rail experience. Yasel transitioned from a background in quality control and mechanics and says that train driving is a fulfilling career offering the flexibility to make it easier for her to plan family occasions, holidays and childcare.

Sally is one of 11 women train drivers based at Wimbledon depot and came to the railway after a career driving London buses. She was the first person to drive one of SWR’s new Arterio trains in service and has recently become a Driver Instructor, training the next generation of drivers.
She says “It’s more than just a job, it’s a career with lots of different opportunities. I’m now a Driver Instructor, which has been one of the most memorable accomplishments of my career so far”.
Fraser Dawson, SWR’s Recruitment Business Partner said:
“Our people are our greatest asset, and we’re committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive organisation, where everyone is recognised and represented. We want to encourage applications from all sections of the community. By opening doors to more women, we gain a wider talent pool, fresh perspectives and experience to help shape the industry for the future.
“Our latest recruitment campaign showcases our inclusive, flexible workplace culture, the benefits and the development opportunities available – no matter where people are in their career journey. If you’ve ever wondered about working in rail, take the leap and join us on this exciting journey.”
No previous rail experience is necessary – SWR’s comprehensive training programme equips trainees with the skills, knowledge and practical experience to help them on their training journey. Once accepted for training at SWR’s Basingstoke campus, candidates must complete various training milestones including a minimum of 225 hours of driving with a Driving Instructor. In total, trainees will go through 18 months of training before qualifying as drivers.
SWR also partners with industry-wide programs including Routes into Rail, inspiring the next generation of rail professionals, and hosts a Women Drivers Network, providing access to networking opportunities and forums that advocate for the career development of women in the industry.
SWR will shortly be opening applications for their trainee train driver talent pools for Farnham, Fratton, Waterloo and Weymouth depots. These are sought after roles and the application process can close fairly quickly due to the volume of applications received. Potential candidates should register for job alerts on the FirstGroup careers page: https://careers.firstgroup.co.uk/brand-swr to get immediate notification of when these and further talent pools for driver roles at other depots open.

Source: https://www.southwesternrailway.com...er/swr-sets-out-to-recruit-more-women-drivers

 

[DMckduck]

Think they are yet again missing the boat here with the potential, no mention at all of potential part time opportunities.

I think they should actively advertise for job sharing, would find more female candidates applying would be my guess.

Just under 40k basic wouldn't be scoffed at either for a 17.5 hour 2 day week.

 

[Grvrdvicdr]

Think they are yet again missing the boat here with the potential, no mention at all of potential part time opportunities.

I think they should actively advertise for job sharing, would find more female candidates applying would be my guess.

Just under 40k basic wouldn't be scoffed at either for a 17.5 hour 2 day week.

From a business point of view that would be terrible. Have to essentially train 2 drivers for 1 position so be twice the cost. Job share or part time is normally offered when you’re already employed and been there a substantial amount of time

 

[LCC106]

I agree. The training is very intensive and costly and there are the costs of two sets of uniforms, two drivers kits, two medicals, two interviews, two sets of psychometrics and so on. It’s sad that in society we still expect the mother to do the majority of the caring but that’s off topic. Great career opportunity for the right person regardless of gender. (Except for the fact they are targeting more females here!)

 

[s01omorg]

Thanks for highlighting the upcoming positions. I'll apply for the Weymouth role but think I'll be discounted on the 1hr rule if afternoon starts are included. Seems like short of uprooting the family it will be Bournemouth or bust for me to get into the industry.

 

[DMckduck]

From a business point of view that would be terrible. Have to essentially train 2 drivers for 1 position so be twice the cost. Job share or part time is normally offered when you’re already employed and been there a substantial amount of time

Well in its current format it's obviously not attracting enough female talent so this ad looks like a box ticking exercise.

 

[qwerty10]

Well in its current format it's obviously not attracting enough female talent so this ad looks like a box ticking exercise.

So what could they do?

 

[DMckduck]

So what could they do?

Well nothing because it wouldn't make business sense.

The only way to make it flexible or more attractive for women which is what they seem to be pushing for is far too expensive.

 

[Towers]

I agree. The training is very intensive and costly and there are the costs of two sets of uniforms, two drivers kits, two medicals, two interviews, two sets of psychometrics and so on. It’s sad that in society we still expect the mother to do the majority of the caring but that’s off topic. Great career opportunity for the right person regardless of gender. (Except for the fact they are targeting more females here!)

Society still very much favours women as the primary carers - the family courts follow that route wherever possible, nurseries seldom offer an equal proportion of male staff to provide a healthy balance in a child’s early development years, and so on. There are many areas which need addressing if we ever intend to truly move away from mothers doing the majority of the caring, but in truth I don’t think that’s what society really wants. Workplace flexibility to enable some workable combination of roles and responsibilities is likely the best we’ll ever do, and that does indeed come at quite a cost to employers.

Anyhow, hopefully this ad will ensure that some of the demographic which SWR desire are amongst the best candidates and duly recruited. Best of luck to all those who apply.

 

[JT97]

The vacancies are up

 

[the_bear]

The vacancies are up

Legend cheers bud. Mines in..

 

[Railee]

The vacancies are up

Thanks for the heads up. App submitted and test passed. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Gooner18]

Thanks for the heads up. App submitted and test passed. Good luck to everyone.

What kind of test is it , how do you know you’ve passed it , confirmation email ?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Thanks for the heads up. App submitted and test passed. Good luck to everyone.

Same for a few friends applying, Good luck to you all.

What kind of test is it , how do you know you’ve passed it , confirmation email ?

Simple SJT of about 20 odd questions with you having to select two answers, one for the most likely and the other the least likely action you'd take for the scenario.

 

[s01omorg]

Also applied and passed online test.

 

[1494]

Will be up for a matter of hours only like last time. 2019 was the last time Weymouth was advertised for external vacancies. Advert was up for 12 hours before being taken down. Blink and you will miss it.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Is Waterloo already gone? Lol
Has to be a record here, wasn't even 12 hours.

 

[JT97]

Is Waterloo already gone? Lol
Has to be a record here, wasn't even 12 hours.

Weren’t the SWR vacancies in January up for a few hours?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Weren’t the SWR vacancies in January up for a few hours?

Im sure they lasted at least 12hours, nvm actually about the same time as Waterloo for all of them on that campaign to disappear. Took about 5hrs on the Jan Campaign for all the depots to be cleared.

 

[JT97]

Im sure they lasted at least 12hours, nvm actually about the same time as Waterloo for all of them on that campaign to disappear. Took about 5hrs on the Jan Campaign for all the depots to be cleared.

Yeah, I thought so as I remember missing out on fratton last time.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Yeah, I thought so as I remember missing out on fratton last time.

SWR is incredibly popular I see! I'm just amazed. I did warn some peers that were interested so luckily they heeded the warning and applied for the great Loo.

 

[the_bear]

Can’t see Fratton up anymore either…

 

[2798]

In for Weymouth. Fingers crossed and good luck all.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Just Weymouth left now.

 

[1494]

All adverts now gone.

 

[NSEWonderer]

All adverts now gone.

Good luck all!

 

[Railee]

Good luck all!

Glad I made the effort yesterday even though I was on holidays. Good luck to us all!

 

[NSEWonderer]

Glad I made the effort yesterday even though I was on holidays. Good luck to us all!

Indeed, you have to take every opportunity you can, procrastination can easily lead to missed opportunities.

 

[gbcthorpe]

I'm also in for Weymouth and passed the online test - good luck everyone. My first time applying for SWR

 

[NSEWonderer]

SWR has a commendable recruitment team compared to other TOCs, from my own experience.

There is at least a number to call here and there for serious queries, and the right person will respond not long after by email or text.

Good luck to all with the process. I can definitely say they will progress and notify those that they can. They don't forget applicants that much, if at all.

I believe they've since reduced the large backlog of applicants they had from COVID, so hopefully most of you aren't waiting too long, especially as they're getting a few more Driver Instructors, so those lucky enough to get on the course won't have to wait too long for a DI when doing their 225s.