MATT

Driver Competence Manager

Making sure our drivers are assessed, examined and supported properly is a huge responsibility - and it’s one that falls to our diligent Competence Managers. Drawing on their own experience of the infrastructure, they lead and manage the processes that ensure our drivers meet our exacting standards of safety, performance and quality.

If you’re to succeed in this specialist, safety critical role, you’ll not only need to have proven yourself as a driver, but also have the excellent interpersonal and communication skills needed to inspire, guide and monitor others through the exceptional challenges and responsibilities drivers face.

To apply, you must

  • have proven train driving experience
  • live – or relocate to – within reasonable distance of your ‘home station’
  • be able to work flexible hours
  • be able to meet on call and weekend working commitments of the role

 

Profile

Matt says... My role within First Great Western is the Competence Assessor for Drivers. The purpose of the Competence Assessor for Drivers in the company is a multiple one really. The primary one would be for instructing and assessing train drivers. The other purpose that we fulfil is 24 hours operational coverage for our control centre, especially out of hours. They can contact us any time of day or night and ask for advice on operational incidents.

In terms of what I’ve got out of working for them, obviously it’s their personal investment and development of me. They’ve shown great confidence and faith all the way through my career. They appointed me into a sort of supervisory role and developed me and brought me along. Everything I am now is thanks to the company, through the train driver, which was always my dream, and then progressing me on so that I can bring other train drivers along.

The single most important factor in my job is safety. Guaranteeing the safety of our customers by ensuring that every single train they travel on has a competent professional at the controls who isn’t going to go wrong, who isn’t going to let them down.

Anybody who works for the company in any role has to be team focussed, they have to be committed, flexible. It’s not a 9 to 5 role, we’re a 24 hour industry, 7 days a week and that really is the sort of approach you need to bring with you.

If you give the commitment and support to the company there isn’t anything the company won’t give in return and I think I’m a prime example of that. That they will bring you along providing that you show the correct qualities.

There is plenty to be proud of with us. If you look at the brand and the way we present ourselves I think there is huge sources of pride there, our services, our livery, the identity that we all have and we are a very, very honest and forward looking company.