Category: Advance TRS News

Since establishing 5 years ago in September 2011, Advance-TRS has grown from one man’s idea into a £18 million turnover business boasting 30 staff and some of the best recruiters in the industry. 

Group Managing Director Andy Ridout’s unique energy and dedication has inspired and driven the team to place over 1,170 rail professionals in the past 5 years, helping place the company as one of the sector’s leading suppliers of contractors and permanent staff.

With plans to more than double the workforce again in the next 3 years, the rapidly growing team shares Andy’s commitment to providing excellent customer service to both candidates and clients alike, finding the best candidates for each role.

Building on more than 70 years of combined industry experience and mobilising the dynamism of new recruits, the team are going from strength to strength.

In the last year alone the company has nearly doubled in size, expanding the admin, finance, marketing, compliance and sales teams. In order to accommodate this extraordinary growth, the team recently celebrated an office expansion which has nearly doubled their office space, spanning two large floors in central Guildford.

All of this has been achieved whilst maintaining a singular dedication to excellent customer service. Following a collaborative consultation process with directors and staff, the company’s Core Values of Quality, Commitment, Integrity, Honesty and Loyalty were rolled out at this year’s Annual Summer Conference.

With business development plans firmly rooted in these five principles, Advance-TRS aims to continue this pattern of growth whilst maintaining their strong reputation as dependable, effective and honest.

Advance-TRS’s high standards have also been recognised by a number of awards and qualifications, operating ISO 9001 certification, the world’s most popular quality management system, attaining OHSAS 18001, the internationally recognised hallmark for occupational health and safety management best practice and placing as a finalist in the coveted Recruitment Excellence category at the 2016 UK Rail Industry Awards.

Following success in the rail sector, head chief Ridout identified opportunities to expand into three new sectors in autumn 2015, expanding the business to incorporate the Water & Utilities, Telecoms and Energy sectors.

“Advance-TRS’ success has been proof that hard work and a dedication to delivering excellent service pays off” Andy explains, reflecting on the last 5 years.

“Now the team and I are more motivated than ever to continue this sensational track record of growth and are excited for what the future brings.”

“Together we can all advance”

As proud members of British Water, Advance TRS are delighted to sponsor this year’s UK Forum events and partner with British Water to showcase new and exciting roles across the sector on the organisations online Jobs Board.

The water sector focussed recruitment company are enjoying the benefits of their active membership with British Water and are excited at this latest opportunity to further the relationship.

With over 18 years’ experience in technical recruitment Managing Director of Advance TRS Water & Utilities division Paul Dredge explains;

“As members of British Water the opportunities to network with other industry professionals and generally align ourselves with such a respected organisation has been fantastic and we are really excited to further our partnership driving forward the British Water Online Jobs board and sponsoring the UK Forum.”

“We pride ourselves on consistently providing a high-quality service to all our customers, those seeking new opportunities and those seeking to hire and believe that our engagement with British Water can only enhance our capability to do so,” says Paul.

The team are committed to marrying together demand and opportunity, working with companies to solve their resource challenges and with water sector professionals to identify suitable permanent or contract employment opportunities.

Lloyd Martin Chief Executive at British Water comments;

“We are really pleased with the relationship we have developed with members Advance TRS, not only does this movement allow the great people we have in the industry continually progress and develop, it showcases how British Water is committed to working with members to achieve their business development goals.”

So if you are stuck in the wrong role, coming to the end of a contract or simply looking for a change see the British Water Jobs board or visit the Advance TRS website.

It’s been a rollercoaster year for the rail industry. Mired by the pausing of numerous overpromised modernisation projects in the Midlands and the North of England, there was an air of uncertainty surrounding Network Rail’s capability to carry out all promised works in CP5. On the upside, we’ve witnessed the grand reopening of the remarkable Birmingham New Street station, the completion of the Reading station area redevelopment, whilst HS2 and Crossrail 2 have both made great leaps towards starting construction.

It’s also been an extraordinary year for rail recruitment specialists, advance-Training & Recruitment Services. The consultancy was recently shortlisted as a finalist for the coveted ‘Recruitment Excellence’ award at the 2016 UK Rail Industry Awards. The nomination came in the wake of advance’s continued commitment to reducing health and safety risks and incidents in the workplace.

The health and safety management system used by advance was recently OHSAS 18001 accredited by ACS Registrars. An OHSAS 18001 accredited safety management system enables advance to fully identify and control health and safety risks in the workplace; reducing the potential for future accidents and incidents.

The consultancy has also been awarded a five-star audit after receiving zero non-conformances for two successive years. RISQS is a pre-qualification scheme used by rail industry buyers to certify capable suppliers of products and services.

“We’re now coming off the back of a categorically outstanding year in 2015,” says managing director, Andy Ridout. “I’m delighted that we’re being recognised for providing services at the highest levels which we know is something our clients have come to expect in this industry. Everybody at advance has put in a huge amount of work within the last year and we’re all really looking forward to a running start in 2016.”

The Surrey-based recruitment consultancy now employs 23 full-time staff and has plans to grow the workforce up to more than 60 by 2019. Demand from clients has increased dramatically in the last year and turnover has increased more than 63% within that time.

In order to accommodate the increase in demand from clients, Advance has made an investment into a wider workspace and their team is currently in the process of moving into new offices more than twice the size of their current floor space.

Advance are now looking forward to an even busier 2016 and with multiple projects due to begin, it’s an exciting time to find a new career. Are you a talented rail professional looking for a new start this year? Advance Training & Recruitment Services are working with some of the biggest names in rail engineering on some of the UK’s most prestigious projects.

Get in contact with advance’s specialist recruitment team today, call 01483 361 061.

“Together, we can all advance.”

The entire team from Advance Training & Recruitment Services took to London this September to ascend The O2 in celebration of another successful sales quarter.

At the highest point of the dome, The O2 stands 170 feet tall and features an incline and decline of up to 30 degrees; that’s three times as steep as the sharpest climb at this year’s Tour de France! The entire climb took around 90 minutes to complete, including a 20-minute break at the top where the team could take in the splendour of the London skyline at sunset.

The O2 climb comes off the back of an impressive quarter in which Advance’s consultants successfully hit their sales target in impressive fashion. An incredible amount of hard work has been put into pulling off this feat and the team is already well on their way to hitting the target for the next quarter.

Reflecting on the climb, managing director Andy Ridout said “It was a fantastic way to celebrate a very successful first three months of the financial year. I’m elated to see the direction the company is going in as we continue to grow financially and expand our team to help cope with the increase in demand.”

Year-on-year contract revenue at the consultancy has increased by 55% whilst permanent revenue has also seen a rise of 48% this year. Further to their sales success in the last quarter, Advance also achieved ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001 accreditation and made it into the Recruitment International Top 500 report for 2015.

Are you a talented recruiter or salesperson who thrives on seeing their name at the top of a leaderboard? Advance Training & Recruitment Services are currently looking for talented salespeople to join their expanding recruitment team.

Advance are offering a competitive salary and a generous benefits package that includes an uncapped commission structure, company pension matched up to 3%, private medical insurance and 23 days holiday, increasing to 25 after your first year.

If you think you have what it takes to become a top biller for a rapidly growing company, get in contact with the office by calling 01483 361 061 or e-mailing info@advance-trs.com

“Together, we can all advance.”

The bi-annual Railtex exhibition has finally come to an end after 3 solid days of networking with professionals from all across the industry.

The exhibition was attended by thousands of industry professionals and more than 460 rail industry suppliers in what has been the biggest Railtex yet. Hosted at the prestigious National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Railtex has been a spectacular showcase for a number of rail technologies, innovations and services.

Specialist consultants from Advance Training & Recruitment Services were on hand to speak with hundreds of visitors throughout the week about careers and recruitment opportunities within the industry.

“We’d like to pay special thanks to everyone we were able to talk to over the last three days.” says managing director, Andy Ridout.

“Railtex has really shown how the whole industry can come together to deliver a first-class railway that is becoming safer, faster and more efficient. We’re really looking forward to working together with the rest of the industry to help deliver this world-class railway in 2015 and beyond.”

Advance Training & Recruitment Services is a specialist recruitment consultancy based solely within the UK’s £44bn rail sector. With over 40 years’ combined experience and a proven track record recruiting within the rail sector, Advance-TRS is the preferred supplier for over 100 blue-chip clients.

For more information about the services Advance-TRS provide, please call (+44) 01483 361 061 or e-mail info@advance-trs.com

The mega-triathlon fundraising campaign heated up this past week when Andy Ridout, Managing Director of advance-TRS took to the stage at the UK Rail Industry Awards. Ridout made an impassioned plea to more than 800 rail professionals, calling for them to ‘dig deep’ and donate.

Hundreds of guests donated generously towards the campaign and by the close of the night, more than £4,800 worth of donations had been raised; a fantastic achievement!

The UK Rail Industry Awards is an annual spectacle aimed at recognising exceptional contributions to the industry over the past twelve months. Founded by Rail Technology Magazine, the awards boasted a keynote speech from Peter Wilkinson, managing director of passenger services at TfL and a video-link message from Baroness Kramer, minister of state for transport.

“It is a testament to the generosity and integrity of the industry, that everyone was able come together and raise such a substantial amount of money for what is an outstanding cause,” says Andy.

“I am incredibly grateful to Rail Technology Magazine for helping provide a platform for us all to make a difference to the lives of thousands of children worldwide.”

Back in November in 2014, Ridout inspired members of the Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers in Glasgow to donate more than £2,212 to the campaign. The current fundraising total now sits at an impressive £7,542 and is still rapidly rising.

Andy jets out to Nepal on the 13th of March to climb to the base camp at Mount Everest. Andy and company will hike more than 113km up and down Everest in a trek that will take around 12 days to complete. Everest Base Camp is the famous camping plain that sits at 15,575ft above sea level, almost two-thirds of the way up the world’s highest summit.

Then in June, Andy will be cycling the Wiggle Dragon ride, undertaking the maximum distance option aptly named the Dragon Devil. The challenge will see Andy cycling a thigh burning 302 kilometres through mountainous South Wales. The length of the challenge is only half of the problem however, as the route requires approximately 3,437 metres of climbing with a maximum elevation of around 530m.

To cap it off, Andy will boldly swim the length of the Loch Ness at the tail end of 2015. The Loch Ness swim is approximately 23 miles in length, taking around 11-12 hours to swim in water as low as 7 degrees Celsius!

There is still time to donate, simply visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyRidout.

“Together, we can all advance.”

Niche railway recruitment specialists, Advance Training & Recruitment Services, has secured a plethora of electrification and civils vacancies for the National Electrification Programme.

The seven-year programme aims to electrify more than two thousand miles of railway at a cost of more than £2 billion. In addition, a further £2 billion is being invested into accompanying civils upgrades which include gauge clearances, new platforms and footbridges, alongside refurbishments at various stations.

The NEP is just a part of the government’s ambitious efforts to electrify more than half of Britain’s railways by 2021. Once completed, the electrified lines will help stimulate economic growth by improving connections between towns and cities, with more journeys, faster trains and a vastly reduced impact on the environment.

Says James Culshaw, Senior Electrification Consultant at advance-TRS, ‘The National Electrification Programme is a fantastic investment into the UK’s ageing rail infrastructure that will provide more train services that can run faster, quieter and far more efficiently. Along with HS2 and Crossrail, an electric railway will be an excellent showcase for the UK as a premier economy with a world-class transport infrastructure.’

Senior Electrification and Civils consultants, James Culshaw and Daniel Forth-Rumley are looking to speak directly to OLE and Civils Project Managers and Project Engineers about long-term contract and permanent opportunities on various NEP projects.

For a confidential discussion about roles within electrification, get in contact with Senior Consultant, James Culshaw by calling 07931 815066 or by e-mailing your CV to jc@advance-trs.com.

To discuss the various roles within civils, get in touch with Senior Consultant, Daniel Forth-Rumley on 07572 533260 or by e-mailing your CV to dfr@advance-trs.com

With station usage growing year on year, the rail industry is pushing ahead with dynamic programmes of station redevelopments and refurbishments. Part of the £37.5 billion spending plan, the biggest rail improvement program since the Victorian era, makes provisions for the replacement of 300,000 square metres of platforms as well as ambitious projects at London Bridge, Birmingham New Street, Manchester Victoria and Reading.

The Office of Rail Regulation estimates that there were 2.54 billion entries and exits at railway stations between 2012 and 2013, an increase of 82 million on the previous year. This is a huge footfall. Add to this a growth in demand for rail services of 5-6% per year and the urgency of the task of dealing with future growth emerges.

Open and accessible station design

For instance at Reading station by 2030 passenger numbers are anticipated to double to 30 million a year. The £850m redevelopment has helped create a further five platforms and facilitate extensions to the existing platforms. Another attempt to ease the bustling crowds and the expected increase in passengers is the use of open and accessible station design.

Upon approaching Reading station, you would be hard pressed to believe that it’s not an airport terminal. The work being undertaken by Network Rail and Costain truly deserves recognition. The new 30 metre wide, 110-metre long bridge is a far cry from the previous span, providing an open, spacious means of moving between platforms, complete with effective signage and information systems for optimal passenger flow.

However, station redevelopments have gone further than just easing overcrowding and improving signage. Local government and its constituents are increasingly demanding architectural wonders that their town or city can be especially proud of. With HS2 looking likely to go ahead in 2017, cities in the north plan to take full advantage. What better way to make your mark than with a railway station of international acclaim.

Waheed Nazir, director of planning and regeneration at Birmingham City council recently claimed that Birmingham would not accept the ‘boxy and basic’ station design for the Birmingham Curzon Street HS2 station that was outlined in the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement.

The new proposals for the station, which have been designed in-house by Nazir’s design team at Birmingham City Council, are intended to deliver a station of an ‘international standard’. Nazir is hoping that the funding shortfall expected in pursuing their own revised designs can be topped up with funding from the local council and local businesses.

Birmingham New Street station itself is a project that is staking its claim to be a station of international acclaim. Gone is the dreary, brutalist exposed concrete architectural design of the old station in favour of a sleek curved exterior that mirrors the more modern aesthetic of the Birmingham city centre. London Bridge, Reading and the proposals for Glasgow Queen Street, answer passengers and local community aspirations for railway stations that will make their city competitive and desirable to potential investors.

Multi-purpose hubs

Some railway stations have also transitioned into new roles as multipurpose hubs complete with high-end retail outlets and casual and smart dining restaurants. These stations offer passengers more than just a journey; opening up multiple alternative lucrative revenue streams for station operators. Sales figures show that growth in retail sales from Network Rail stations grew 7.8% in like-for-like sales between September and December in 2013 in contrast to a paltry 0.6% growth for high street retail outlets. It’s easy to see then, why station operators have begun looking at alternative ways of generating income that can ultimately be reinvested back into improving the railway.

The results of such an experiment are already clear to see if you look at the example set by St Pancras railway station. After an £800m refurbishment that was completed in 2007, St Pancras became an international rail nucleus complete with high-end retail outlets, restaurants and cafés as well as Europe’s longest champagne bar.

With Network Rail expanding its retail operations in stations such as London Victoria, Waterloo and Reading, as well as trialling a package collection service at mainline stations, it’s clear to see that railway stations are becoming more than just the inception and completion of our daily commute. Stations are quickly becoming central hubs that are essential to the growth of many local economies around the country. The task for contractors now is to strike a perfect balance between aesthetic design and functional design whilst also making provisions for various other opportunities that can offer local economic benefits.

In light of the recent developments in the electrification sector with Network Rail agreeing £2 billion worth of framework contracts with Balfour Beatty, AmeyInabensa, CarillionPowerlines and ABC Electrification, it is reasonable to argue that the UK is beginning to establish a railway system that is faster, cleaner and much more
efficient.

These six framework contracts are just a part of around 30 different electrification projects that the government has green-lighted for the next seven years. These framework agreements seek to electrify 2,000 miles of track between 2014 and 2019, a significant investment that will create a more sustainable railway.

However, we estimate that by 2016, the electrification sector will require upwards of 2,000 skilled linesmen to carry out the works, more than 10 times the current capacity. The UK now faces an uphill struggle to recruit and train over 1,800 electrification linesmen before 2016. One of the biggest concerns that we are experiencing with regards to establishing a skilled workforce in the UK rail industry is the relatively lengthy breaks between large-scale projects. These breaks inevitably lead to a reduction in demand for specialist skilled workers, most notably within Electrification and Signalling.

Unfortunately as a result, we commonly see capacity problems arise when large-scale projects are initiated and the industry’s demand begins to far outweigh the supply. In disciplines such as Signalling and Electrification, there isn’t a direct transferability of skills that enables technicians to easily transfer between roles. Those looking to make the switch to the electrification sector are still required to complete specialist training in order to be qualified enough to work.

We are also dealing with an ageing workforce with many high-level qualified technicians expected to retire over the next few years, further threatening the sustainability of future electrification works.

One solution to the skills shortage is to source skilled linesmen from other countries such as Poland, Slovakia and The Philippines. Many European countries have a much higher ratio of electrified track to the UK and have thus created a highly skilled workforce that will soon be in big demand.

However, sourcing technicians from foreign countries doesn’t necessarily address the long-term issues that the UK rail industry has in terms of maintaining a highly skilled workforce. With youth unemployment in the UK reaching close to 20%, could there be a better solution right on our doorstep?

We should be looking at supporting organisations that aim to fill the various skills gaps that exist within the industry, most notably the partnership between Carillion and SPL Powerlines. The partnership was set up ahead of the Network Rail framework contracts agreement and aims to significantly reduce the deficit in skilled linesmen over the next 6 years by investing heavily in purpose-built electrification training centres.

Another organisation that deserves recognition is the UK Rail Industry Training Trust, a charity set up to reach out to 12-19 year-olds across the UK to promote careers in the rail industry. The trust is currently running a series of engagement and educational events around the country, promoting the types of careers available within the rail industry.

Vocational education
There also needs to be a shift in attitudes towards careers in the trades as it recently emerged that youngsters are being actively dissuaded away from vocational education in favour of more academic pursuits. According to a recent study by the Edge Foundation, 36% of students who studied a vocational qualification were advised against it by their school. Only 51% of parents encouraged their child’s choice to study a vocational qualification, compared to 74% of parents who were happy to encourage an academic pursuit. This poses another dilemma for the rail and construction industries despite evidence showing that the total income of an ex-apprentice is not too dissimilar to that of a university graduate.

As the UK commits to constructing a 21st century fast, safe and green railway, we must not ignore the continual demand for qualified and experienced technicians and engineers. It is essential that we are continually inspiring the next generation of railway engineers as these future stars will be the ones building the large-scale projects such as HS2 and Crossrail 2.

For more information on how advance Training & Recruitment Services can meet your electrification staffing needs, talk to our resident Electrification & Power expert Daniel Forth-Rumley by calling 01483 361061

News Flash…Advance Training & Recruitment Services is expanding! As a result of continued recruitment successes, Advance-TRS will soon be moving into office space more than three times the size of their current premises. Since it’s inception in 2011, Advance-TRS has been growing exponentially and has developed into one of the market leaders in Rail & Transport recruitment. This extraordinary growth has made it necessary to upgrade local facilities in order to accommodate an increase in sales and administration staff.

Andy Ridout, Managing Director of Advance Training & Recruitment Services, commented:

“This is an extremely important milestone for this company. Over the last 2 years, our whole team has worked incredibly hard in order to get Advance-TRS to where it is today and this year we are reaping the rewards. Our expansion will open the doors for the company to grow even faster in 2014 and beyond.”

From the 10th of February 2014, Advance-TRS will be residing in a new workplace, located just yards away from their current office. Advance-TRS will be moving down the road to:

Second Floor, Stamford House
91 Woodbridge Road
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 4QD

Andy continues: “Our next challenge is finding talented Recruitment Consultants to take on the growing demand that our clients are requiring. Finding the right people is no small task; we look specifically for ambitious & driven recruiters who can hit the ground running and make an instant impact.”

To deal with the ever-growing demand for recruitment services, Advance-TRS are looking to take on new Recruiters & Senior Recruiters to help grow the business in 2014 and further afield. They are looking for ambitious, driven and aspiring candidates with a strong background in recruitment to fill a warm desk benefiting a whole host of engaged clients, live vacancies and an established catalogue of extremely talented candidates. If you have a couple of years of experience in recruitment or are an experienced recruiter looking for the next step in your career, visit the team page here to find out more about who Advance-TRS are and what they’re looking for.

Advance are also offering a referral fee to anyone who refers to them an experienced recruiter that they employ. If you refer a recruiter that advance take on, you’ll be awarded £250, it’s as simple as that!

For a confidential discussion, please call Managing Director, Andy Ridout on 07786 968851 or e-mail your CV to ar@advance-trs.com

With over 450 industry professionals in regular attendance, the dinner at the Derby Roundhouse is perhaps the most prestigious networking event of the rail calendar.

As well as providing an annual opportunity for business leaders and key industry decision makers to meet, it has since 2012 become an invaluable fundraising hub for Railway Children.

Last years’ event saw Andy Ridout of rail recruitment company, advance Training and Recruitment Services (advance-TRS) announce his personal challenge, a challenge that would see him endure a freshwater swim of 2.4 miles, an agonising 110 mile bike ride, followed by a gruelling marathon across the hilly terrain of Dartmoor, all in all, an ironman. In aid of Railway Children, he aimed to raise a staggering £10,000 whilst inspiring others to step forward and support him on his journey to end child neglect. The Roundhouse provided a perfect reception for his announcement; that night Ridout raised £3,700 towards his target.

One year on and it seems that ‘Ironman Andy’ as he has become known has completed his journey in more ways than one. Since last year the dinner at the Roundhouse helped raise in excess of £85,000 for Railway Children, with Andy having personally raised a staggering £12,777 towards that total.

We recently caught up with the man himself, he spoke frankly about the race that pushed him to his limit.

‘It has been an emotional twelve months’ says Andy, who celebrated his 41st birthday two days after completing the race. The training was definitely tough with many obstacles along the way, not least the back injury that almost meant pulling out at the last minute.’

‘On the morning of the Ironman, I was filled with excitement and apprehension and was very much looking forward to the swim, my favourite of the three activities (unfortunately the shortest too). There is nothing more sobering than entering a lake as the sun rises, the sky was clear and the red glow as the sun came up was magnificent. The atmosphere on the lake side was buzzing and everyone was in high spirits. In such events, there is a feeling of unity and camaraderie amongst the contestants and everyone is really encouraging of one another.’

‘The swim was exhilarating but as I mounted my bike the excitement and fear of what lay ahead were consuming. I had a very sore back and was conscious of the impact the hilly terrain may have, it didn’t take long for my fears to be confirmed; the 3rd mile of the 110 was a mile long climb which induced exceptional muscle tightening, after that I’m not sure how I managed to persevere but somehow I kept going.’

‘The views during the ride were magnificent and I was filled with a spectrum of emotions ranging from determination to frustration, to adrenaline fuelled excitement as I descended at speeds of up to 40mph. On the 109th mile, I had a sudden sense of humour failure; the race owners having decided to put the finish at the top of a 40% hill! However, I was on the home stretch and as I pushed towards the cycling finish line I felt a combination of relief and immense satisfaction. Unfortunately, my feelings of relief lasted all of 2 minutes as my attention was turned to the moors and the marathon that lay ahead. By this point my back was in agony and I was mentally drained, but I had got so far and pulling out was not an option; even if it meant walking 26 miles I knew I had to cross that finish line.’

‘The run was spectacular, the views breathtaking. Every few miles I grew in confidence and relaxed into a routine of running for 4 or 5 miles and then eating and drinking to keep my energy levels going. At sun set I happened to be at the highest point of the moors and the view was incredibly inspiring, from this I drew encouragement and pushed on to complete the final 10 miles.’

‘Crossing the finish line was extraordinarily satisfying and emotional; it was the end of a 12-month race.’

‘I would like to say a special thank you to everyone who has helped support me on my journey to the finish line, the industry’s response to my efforts have been overwhelming and the £12,777 raised for Railway Children has been well worthwhile.’

There is still time to donate, just visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyRidout, alternatively call 01483 361061 or go to secure.thebiggive.org.uk/project/19551 between the 5th and 6th December and double your money!

The signalling recruitment team at Advance-TRS has proposed a new mentorship programme.

Managers at Advance-TRS hope the Signalling Mentorship programme will see between 60 and 100 Testing Engineers achieve fully qualified IRSE Licence tester status within 12 months.

Says Daniel Forth-Rumley, Recruitment Consultant at Advance-TRS, ‘It struck me that a vast amount of engineers have completed the testing courses, but still struggle to get the required mentorship opportunity to step up their testing grades.’

Daniel went on, ‘When approached, the majority of engineers jumped at the opportunity to join a programme offering consistent mentorship and employment, in return for the commitment to work critical bank holiday periods.’

Whilst signalling is just one of the key areas of concern, Network Rail’s openness to invest and support possible solutions is welcome news. It is, however, essential that this message runs deeper than the senior management.

It remains a continual frustration for many of the principal contractors around the country that supply chain Testers in Charge (TIC) and Test & Commissioning Managers are reluctant to approve signal test plans that contain IRSE Licensed test engineers who are listed as working under mentorship. It is a vicious circle and without the empowerment to use the aspiring trainee testers to gain the essential mentorship required, the problem will only magnify.

Alongside the High Speed Two project, Great Western electrification and Crossrail, Europe’s biggest construction project, there will be major work taking place to implement new signalling technology as the industry progresses an ambitious programme to replace most of the current line side signals with in-cab technology.

Signalling is a critical discipline within the rail industry and with the ageing workforce signalling delivery has a daunting challenge ahead. For example, the Christmas commissioning period often shows up the critical shortfall of signal test engineers. With eight weeks to go rail chiefs remain concerned.

Andy Ridout, managing director of Advance-TRS feels it is imperative to fill this skills shortage. Network Rail and its principal contractors are to be commended and encouraged as they work towards increased graduate and skilled recruitment programmes as well as investing in training, conversion programmes and mentorship schemes.

To hear more about the testing mentorship programme or simply to share your view on the issue face within the rail recruitment sector, email Advance-TRS at info@advance-trs.com or contact Andy Ridout on 01483 361061.

At a time when many businesses are struggling, it is imperative that employers are equipped to source the staff who will provide the best return on investment. However, many continue to get it wrong, costing them a small fortune.

Victoria Turner asks Andy Ridout, Managing Director of rail Recruitment Company, advance-TRS why businesses are so often failing in their selection strategies and how top talent can be retained.

“Your employees will be your most valuable asset. In most cases they will also be your greatest cost, so the first step to success is hiring the right people,” Commented Ridout.

Ridout believes that successful candidate selection requires the employer to be precise about what a role actually involves. It is important to understand exactly what will be expected of a candidate before you can ascertain the type of employee you are looking for.

Do you need an individual who others can be lead and motivated by? If so, ensure that the questions you ask during the interview allow the candidate to not only demonstrate their knowledge and qualifications but to express the personal characteristics of a successful leader.

Training specialist Monique Choudhuri, Head of Training and Development at advance-TRS has built up a 25-year portfolio of blue chip clients including British Airways, BSkyB and Fircroftand and is only too familiar with the staffing problems most companies face.

Monique explained, “For a business to flourish, every employer should understand the psychology behind interviewing, as well as the various techniques that can be applied to identify the strongest candidates in the talent pool.”
So, once you have perfected your interview methods and have applied them accordingly you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your new employee’s labour, right? Wrong!

According to Monique, it is at this stage that employers are lulled into a false sense of security, often causing the most expensive mistakes to be made.

Companies are increasingly guilty of failing to get the most from their staff. In some sectors, 43% of employees complain of lacking opportunity for growth. This not only means that their potential remains unrealised but that they are more likely to leave.

Advance Training and Recruitment Services offer their clients consistent training, personal development plans and mentoring, all part of a client retention strategy designed to develop an employee’s most valuable assets, boost company morale and maximise productivity. Surely this is an investment which no business can afford to be without?

To book a free consultation with Monique or for further information on how we can help develop your business please contact advance- TRS on 01483 361 061 or email info@advance-trs.com

“Together, we can all advance.”

Summer is on the horizon- time to dust off the sunnies and stash the winter boots, time for change, time for a new career?

With the summer months approaching there is no better time to consider your options when it comes to your employment. Whether you’re searching for a salary increase to help fund that perfect summer holiday, a role closer to home or simply a change of direction, specialist railway recruiters Advance-TRS are here to assist every step of the way.

Step 1.

Know exactly which sector you want to work in, how far you are prepared to travel, whether you want permanent or temporary employment and the salary or rate you are prepared to accept.

If you are unsure of anything such as your market value then talk to a recruitment expert in your sector.

Step 2.

Search for specialist recruiters in your industry. These specialists will have relationships with the key companies and employers; as well as live jobs that are ready to be filled.

advance-TRS are specialist railway recruiters with a combined experience of over 40 years, they are preferred suppliers to the majority of employers within the rail sector and will undoubtedly have contacts within the companies you wish to be considered by.

Big online job boards can be useful, however, many allow a multitude of agencies to have access to your CV. This can result in mass CV mailshots by inexperienced recruiters to unsuitable employers, a fact that could tarnish your professional integrity.

Step 3.

Prepare your CV in case a role becomes immediately available.

Remember, you must be able to support the statements made in your CV, avoid unnecessary exaggeration as untruths will probably come to light during reference checks.

And finally…

Ensure that your Facebook settings are set to private! Employers use social media to check up on candidates so any lurid pictures and expletives should be deleted and your LinkedIn profile kept up to date.

advance-TRS offers recruitment jobs and advice to the rail industry, to search our latest jobs click here or call 01483 361 061 to speak with a member of our team.

Specialist railway recruitment company, Advance-TRS announced this week that it has won its bid to become one of three 1st tier suppliers to the major signalling company, Signalling Solutions.

An amalgamation of the signalling systems company, Alstom and construction enterprise Balfour Beatty, Signalling Solutions was launched in 2007 to serve demands for all signalling products and services throughout the UK. With an annual turnover of over £34m it is without a doubt, a premier UK based signalling contracting organisations.

Signalling recruitment specialist and managing director of Advance-TRS, Andy Ridout commented, “This is an exceptional opportunity to partner with one of the leading signalling organisations here in the UK, I believe that winning 1st tier status is a testament to the hard work of everyone at Advance-TRS since we launched in 2011.”

Having successfully won three national signalling frameworks as well as a portfolio of further projects, it seems that Signalling Solutions along with Advance-TRS are set for a busy year ahead.

Advance-TRS are currently recruiting candidates in the following areas; signalling design, engineering management, project engineering, project services, test and commissioning and installation.

If you have experience in any of these areas please contact Advance-TRS directly on 01483 361 061 or browse live vacancies on their new website at www.advancerailwayjobs.com

“Together, we can all advance.”

In January last year, the government announced plans to build High Speed 2 – a high-speed railway line set to be constructed in two parts. Initially, the route will link London to Birmingham, dramatically reducing passenger journey time. The second phase of the high-speed development will then transform the route into the form of a “Y” shape- splitting the line in two directions, one continuing from Birmingham to Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe and Manchester Airport and the other from Birmingham to Leeds via East Midlands and Sheffield.

In recent years, many feel that rail industry contractors and consultancies have been apprehensive and unwilling to invest in staff training and full-time hires due to short term contracts and lack of confidence in long-term workloads. HS2 could be set to solve this.

The new line is estimated to cost around £30billion and will be completed by 2032, it’s commissioning along with substantial government investment in cross rail and other national electrification projects such as ‘The electric spine’ lay testament to the government’s continued commitment & confidence in the booming rail industry, a fact which will no doubt boost many rail companies faith when it comes to investing in permanent recruits.

According to Andy Ridout, Managing Director of railway recruitment company Advance-TRS, the employment of long-term, permanent staff should definitely be encouraged;
“Creating long-term and reliable employment will not only save rail organisations themselves money on short- term contract hires but will have a holistic benefit for the whole industry through the investment in staff training. Training will ensure that younger workers are given the opportunity to provide an in-depth, knowledgeable service, comparable with that of the facility provided by their more experienced counterparts.” Andy went on to say, “With an ageing workforce this kind of employee investment is imperative.”

Advance-TRS offer their clients extensive training in candidate attraction, staff retention and maximum employee utilisation.

If you feel your company could benefit from staff training or management training or if you simply wish to recruit with like-minded rail experts, then call Advance-TRS on 01483 361 061

This Christmas whilst sat around the table with your family spare a thought for the Signalling Testers who will be working hard to ensure that plans to update the British railways are delivered on time, reports Victoria Turner of Advance-TRS.

Unfortunately every year, during the Christmas period, the rail industry faces a challenge mustering enough Signal Testers prepared to work the holidays. According to Andy Ridout, Managing Director of the specialist railway recruitment company Advance-TRS, this year is no exception.

With train operating companies eager to limit the disruption caused to travellers during peak times it is essential that scheduled commissionings are completed promptly over the festive season.

Says Andy, ‘Failure to deliver major commissioning work within the designated time frame could cause major interference to services. As a result, smaller projects could be cancelled and staff transferred to priority areas. For some, the Christmas bonus incentive is not enough to justify missing out on family festivities.’

According to Advance-TRS, one solution could be to consider using Functional Testers who are under mentorship for their IRSE licence. This would provide work experience and log book building whilst taking them one step closer to qualification and perhaps eradicating future staff shortages.

Another option is to outsource. James Sneller, signalling specialist at Advance-TRS believes that international workers could be the way forward. Says James, ‘Many foreign testers who already have UK experience and track certificates would find the offered rates highly appealing. All it would need is an agreement with Network Rail to approve a Certificate of Competence (CoC) prior to the work period.’

Advance-TRS is an international recruitment company, specialising in sourcing highly skilled, scarce railway candidates. For more information or to discuss your requirements with our team of industry experts call 01483 361 061.

Smart personnel are the most important element of any company. Staff represent their firm at every level and are often the face, image and brand of the business. So if employers go to all the trouble of putting time and money into selecting the most desirable candidates, it makes sense to retain them.

Investing in long-term training programmes keeps staff motivated and loyal. Better still it creates a thriving working environment that fosters the highly skilled, market leading, professionals who will take the company right to the top.

Yet in some sectors 43% of employees complain of lacking opportunity for growth, their potential remains unrealised. Increasing your staff’s skill base and job satisfaction through training makes economic as well as a professional sense. Poor customer service can damage reputation but can be put right through consistent and accessible training.

Says Andy Ridout, Managing Director of advance-Training and Recruitment (Services) Ltd, ‘At advance-TRS our training experts have developed talent retention strategies that maximise employee productivity through boosting morale and helping employees to enjoy and get the most from their jobs, thus decreasing staff turnover. This is an investment which no business can afford to be without.’

Training specialist Monique Choudhuri (Pictured), head of staff development at advance-TRS has built up a 25 year portfolio of blue chip clients including British Airways, BSkyB and Fircroft Engineering through training with a touch of humour.

‘The secret to successful training is to capture attention,’ says Monique. ‘I could tell my audience the meaning of life, but if no one is alert and paying attention it won’t go in. Delivery is the key. Teaching with a touch of wit ensures that my message is heard loud and clear.’

Monique bases her techniques on the idea that the human attention span is often quite short. Training sessions must therefore be broken up into bite-sized segments that reflect this.
‘I captivate my students with short group participation exercises, activities and games. This stimulates them and gets their thoughts flowing. The information will then be absorbed by their long-term memory,’ says Monique. ‘I work on the ‘remember and apply’ model. I use Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to ensure that everything I teach will be remembered and applied practically in the workplace,’ she adds.

Advance-Training and Recruitment Services offers staff training at all levels, to clients throughout the railway industry, with the aim of finding you the right personnel and making sure you keep them.

To book a free consultation with Monique or for further information on how we can help develop your business please contact advance- TRS on 01483 361 061 or email info@advance-trs.com

Andy Ridout, Managing Director of Advance Training and Recruitment Ltd is hard at work training for the Horseman Ironman competition.

Andy is dedicating his efforts to the charity Railway Children. As a father of three, he aims to raise £10,000 through sponsorship. Says Andy, ‘Everyday thousands of homeless children put themselves at risk through desperation to survive on railway lines around the world. There is nothing more precious in this world than children and I hope that my efforts can make more people aware of this fantastic cause.’

Andy Ridout has welcomed the news of Network Rail’s recent agreement to create a fair pay charter. Andy, who recruits permanent and contract staff throughout the railway sector commented, ‘It is a great and positive step for the industry which will have a hugely beneficial effect on the entire supply chain.’ He went on to say, ‘I hope that small and medium enterprises adopt a similar attitude in order to sustain the fluidity of the payment structure throughout the industry. The agreement sets to open new doors for the rail sector. By reducing the risk involved in investment, smaller business will be encouraged to invest in the industry, thus adding greater competition and improving on costs.’

Advance-TRS offers discounted introductory fees in return for shorter payment terms. The new charter will hopefully pave the way for the larger contractors to take advantage of this offer, giving them the opportunity to invest even more heavily in areas such as safety.

To follow Andy’s fundraising journey or to sponsor him please visit his Virgin Money Giving page.

Paul Merton has joined specialist rail recruitment company advance-TRS as Operations Director, to work with close friend and former colleague Andy Ridout.

Paul has 12 years experience in mechanical, electrical and rail telecommunications recruitment.

He previously worked as a Business Consultant at Maple Resourcing Ltd and has worked for Resourcing Solutions and Marks and Spencer.

Says Paul, ‘It’s really inspiring to see what Advance has achieved in its first six months and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to continue building a professional and trusted recruitment consultancy. The chance to work with Andy is also what attracted me to Advance.

‘Anyone who has met Andy will know how passionate he is about recruitment and the rail industry.’

Says Andy Ridout, ‘Paul is a very welcome addition to the team. Aside from being a good friend, he brings a wealth of experience and industry knowledge.

‘We share the belief that customers want to speak to real industry experts. That way, clients can be confident we understand their requirements and candidates can be assured we will find a role that’s right for them.’