Got a lad on our wing who’s recently finished a trackwork course & I’m trying to find links/contacts for him to seek full time employment on release to stop the silly sod coming back!
I’ve checked a site called The Railway People but It’s just a long list of various employers who may or may not employ track workers so can anyone tell me of any more specific sites to check out. He’s got no web access so I just need addresses & phone numbers if poss.
Ta, Mr Barrowclough.

Tell him to go to the nearest library, get internet access, search for railway companies, Jarvis, Birse Rail Midlands and so on, write a CV, send it out to as many firms as he can. Write a CV and send it to them all saying he’s willing to start off as a trainee as he has no experience.
Call them up in a couple of weeks to chase up any replies and take it from there.

And when he writes his CV, maybe best not to mention his recent wee spell….

Tell him to go to the nearest library

Might be a slight problem with that…

Good place to start with a letter would be

Network Rail
Kings Place
90 York Way
London
N1 9AG
http://www.networkrail.co.uk

For you to get info for him, try : http://www.ukjobsnet.com/rail-jobs

http://www.rica.uk.com/Members.htm

Ok,
Here’s a few to get him going. It’s always best to call the companies up, find out the name of the manager/director who will be looking at his CV and address it to him. It shows he’s making an effort.

Cheers Neil, I’ve already got him Network Rail & Prima’s details. Our library is limited & he wants to get going with applications etc before he gets out.
I’ll check the others out too. Thanks up to now!

Gotta say OP; that’s a great thing you’re doing, trying to help him out. ‘Above and beyond’ as they say. Warms the old cockles it does.

Jambourgie, wev’e got another lad on here who’s nickname is Jambo. Coincidence?

The bigger steam preservation railways may have a few paid jobs, though where I help it’s mostly volunteers. Which might be a way of gaining experience and improving the CV if he’s otherwise at a loose end.

(edit)
I think you’re in the NE. There’s Nth Yorks Moors, Nth Tyneside, Weardale & Wensleydale.

Could try Trackwork in Doncaster. Do all sorts of national contract work

Wifey is a H&S manager for one of the big outfits. She says to join a few agencies (apparently there are loads).
London is the main place due to the cross rail project and they are screaming out for people. So much so that they’ve employed my younger brother as a COSS.
The more courses (such as COSS) he can do the better. They aren’t cheap but very worthwhile.
That’s all I’ve got I’m afraid.

Good stuff up to now, any more?

The lad concerned is from Sheffield BTW.

Keithley & Worth Valley

Maybe someone on here who’s more local can help.

Great job OP.

There’s a company in Sheffield called Linbrooke that has various rail vacancies including trackwork, might be worth a look if has done his PTS.

The bigger steam preservation railways may have a few paid jobs

There was a full time track worker job going on the SVR at Bridgnorth recently.
Like all the paid jobs on the SVR though, it was worded something like “Must have experience of track laying in the heritage railway industry”, so pretty much limited to recruiting from their existing volunteers.

Agencies are you’re best bet I’d say, few guys I used to know worked on the railways and were always contracting, good money too.

A guy I ride with is a track manager at Network Rail, and whist he manages a section of the network further south, I’m sure he’ll be able to help.
I’ll steer him to this thread and get him to email you directly.

hi im phils friend, there is some good advice on hear already, agencies and sub contract companies would be the best way to get a foot in the door. he would need a PTS (personal track safety)cert to go track side, assuming he hasn’t already, and a bit of experience before he moved on to other courses, like COSS (controller of site safety)and ES (engineering supervisor).
contractor work could get him that experience and an idea of a direction he’d like to go in.
Renown railway services and McGinley support services both have track sections and I have worked with both before, in my experience, both have been good.
hope that helps, if you want any more information, just let me know,
Pete

Have you tried Trackwork in Doncaster, they used to (still do) run programmes and employ offenders on day release / on licence etc

Tel: 01302 888666. email: info@trackwork.co.uk, Trackwork Ltd, PO Box 139, Sandall Lane, Kirk Sandall Industrial Estate, Doncaster, DN3 1WZ.

I used to deal with a chap called Wayne Chawner – he headed up their training side of things, not sure if he is there now. Has he thought of doing an apprenticeship ?

Another one to try is:

Volker Rail Ltd.
Carolina Court, Lakeside
Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 5RA
T +44 (0)1302 79 11 00
F +44 (0)1302 79 12 00

There website does accept speculative applications

Firstly he’ll need a PTS, for that he’ll need a company / agency willing to sponsor him. There’s a Drug & Alchohol test and that’s zero tolerance as is the policy right through rail. If you get caught with any non prescribed drugs or more than 30mg/l of booze in you it’s an instant 5yr ban.

Most agencies aren’t too bothered about a criminal record, so long as it’s nothing too serious.

I use VGC, McGinley and Anders Elite to source my labour.

Contrary to popular belief there is work outside the M25, several hundred million pounds of it actually and an awful lot of it is in the north & middle of England.

Jarvis & Birse Rail no longer exist as companies directly, the former was wound up a while ago and the latter is owned by Balfour Beatty Rail and trades under that name.

Direct labour agency is the way to go in my opinion for someone of a less than Snow White background.

Not mentioning being away at Her majesty’s pleasure is illegal and will get found out anyway

Excellent work fellas, thanks. I’ll pass all this on to the lad on Tuesday when I’m back in.
Thanks again.

EDIT @ Woody, cheers Woody, got him that one today. (not supposed to be on STW at work but it’s all in the name of rehabilitation & reducing re-offending!

Balfour Beatty, good one!

Most of the bigger contractors do offender placements – we do but I’m not on the rail side so can’t help directly but mail in profile for details and I’ll make enquiries