Girls Allowed
Northern Rail is stepping up its driver recruitment and training programme by attracting more women to the job. Over the past year the number of female applicants has risen by 300%. Speaking at Infrarail earlier this year Theresa Villiers, erstwhile transport minister, urged the industry to step up the recruitment of women. Northern Rail’s initiative is proving successful. Trainee drivers
can expect to earn £17K to start with rising to £40K when fully trained. Says Tracie Wing (pictured), a driver based at Blackpool North, ‘I love this job for many reasons. I get to see plenty of daylight during winter, when most of my friends are stuck behind a desk. At times it can feel like I am my own boss as I am working my shift, driving my train and in complete control. ‘The pay is excellent and I get to work varied hours allowing me to
see more of my family than I would in a traditional 9 to 5 role. The banter with the team is something I really enjoy and would encourage any woman to consider doing this.’ Tracie emphasised, ‘We are just as capable as the guys.’ For train driver roles, Northern has traditionally had an average female applicant figure of 5%. In the last twelve months this figure has increased to 17%. Says Adrian
Thompson, HR Director, ‘We are delighted to see more women applying to become train drivers. The role is certainly a challenging one, requiring great concentration to learn all the routes and mechanical aspects of the different types of train we use, and is as well suited to women as it is to men.’ Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s General Secretary, agrees, ‘Northern has shown a commitment to changing the traditional perception of the rail industry as an employer. The company has made it a priority to recruit more women and ethnic minorities to roles within the company. Whilst there is still some way to go until we have railway depots that reflect the communities in which they are based, ASLEF applauds the efforts that Northern has made.’
Fitness Training A group of ten Greater Anglia employees has completed the Health for Life Level 1 Certificate in Exercise Studies. Kathryn Cole, Graham Chaplin, Felicity Keeble, Gill Charlton, Maja Kalinska, Lee Clifton along with Amy Baker, John Stanford, Mike Moy, and Janet Clark, all successfully completed the course. The course helped the team to identify and improve fitness levels and supported them in making exercise part of their everyday life. The team studied the fundamental principles of exercise and fitness and learned how to plan a personal training programme. Says Michelle Smart, Greater Anglia’s HR director, ‘I was delighted to present the Health for Life certificates to my colleagues on successfully completing the course. I hope their achievement inspires others to undertake the course.’ 44
Apprentices Graduate ScotRail’s first group of Modern Apprentices in Customer Service has graduated. The 11 apprentices met Angela Constance, Minister for Youth Employment, at Glasgow’s Grand Central Hotel for the graduation ceremony. The 18-month-long scheme saw 11 apprentices aged between 18 and 22, trained, paid and given placements in handson roles at ScotRail. Placements included working in station booking offices, on the trains as hospitality hosts and
spells as a ticket examiner. Each achieved a Level 2 Scottish Vocational Qualification in Customer Service as well as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award. Says Angela Constance, ‘A Modern Apprenticeship involves taking up employment, and at the same time learning new skills and enjoying new experiences. The value to a company of taking on an enthusiastic apprentice cannot be understated. ‘Customer service means being the public face of any company, a
position that carries great responsibility. Today’s graduates have clearly demonstrated that they are up to the task and I would like to wish them the very best of success for the future.’ Four of the apprentices already have full-time positions at ScotRail stations, a fifth has started work on a graduate trainee programme with FirstGroup, the train operator’s parent company, and the others are applying for full-time roles with ScotRail. www.railstaff.co.uk