Southeastern has launched its biggest ever recruitment drive to encourage more people to opt for a career in rail.
Opportunities are available in a range of roles. Southeastern wants to appoint 170 trainee drivers, more than 100 station staff, and more posts in roles such as Railway Enforcement and Protection, Onboard Managers, Train Conductors and Engineers. There will also be roles available in management and other specialist careers.
To support this record-breaking recruitment drive, Southeastern has launched a unique advertising campaign which aims to encourage people from communities who may not have previously considered a career in rail, to do so.
Southeastern wants to identify and remove barriers to opportunity, attracting candidates from across the network to improve social mobility and increase hires from under-represented groups by 10% year on year. We want to break the outdated perception of what working in rail is like.
This includes a series of ‘Day in the Life’-style videos with a range of colleagues showing a behind the scenes glimpse of working at Southeastern.
In a typical year, Southeastern would recruit approximately 300 people to maintain the required number of colleagues to run one of the country’s biggest and busiest railways. Doubling this is needed to support a growing Southeastern and support the goal to build a better, more reliable and sustainable railway.
Earlier this year, Southeastern became the UK’s first passenger rail operator to publish a Social Mobility Action Plan – which sets out how Southeastern will help the regions and communities it serves to fulfil their potential. Access to well-paid and rewarding careers is a key part of this commitment and Southeastern is looking forward to working with a broad and diverse range of applicants this year and beyond.
Steve Foster, Southeastern's People Director, said:
“Working at Southeastern brings responsibility, pride and achievement. We want to recruit great people who represent the communities we serve. We know that some people think that they need experience in the railway or specific qualifications. That is rarely the case and for many jobs we provide full training. We are interested in applicants who have the right mindset.
“There are many talented potential employees out there who could have a rewarding and enjoyable career working in a wide range of roles across our network and I would encourage them to take a look at the opportunities we have available and to get in touch.”
Tom Blendell, Railway Enforcement Officer, who features in the campaign, said:
“The mix between family life and work life is brilliant and the team I work in is one of the reasons that I come to work. If I can do it, you can do it too.”
