Anonymous asked a question to Sophia G.
Good morning, Alan. I will do my best, but feel free to reach out again if you want more detail in a specific area of the process.
So firstly, is the recruitment stage. This is made up of the initial application, consisting of your CV and answers to chosen questions aligned to the role of a Train Driver. This stage helps the recruitment team to shortlist. Once we have selected who is appropriate for the next stage, we will invite these candidates to carry out psychometric assessments. These assessments occur in stages, each with the purpose of identifying that the applicants can demonstrate vigilance, concentration, ability to perform, and make safe decisions under pressure. We need to be sure that the succesful applicants will always adhere to rules, process, policy and standards set out by the company and the job, as well as show a credible and genuine commitment to train service performance and customer experience. I would suggest practising with some psychometric tests (you can find ones free online) which measure the above mentioned skills and behaviours.
Following these assessments, the final cohort of applicants will be invited to participate in an interview with members of our Driver Management team. Following this, those successful will be offered a role (usually in a talent pool, where the position is safeguarded but on hold, waiting for roles to become available) and is subject to a medical assessment (drugs & alcohol screening and fitness checks).
The training itself typically lasts for two years before it is fully completed and the Driver is then "passed out" as competent and able to drive trains alone. The training is a mixture of self study, classroom training, simulations, and on the job shadowing and training.
I hope that helps and wish you good luck!
