Queensland Rail - More guards and drivers being recruited

[ozbob]

Twitter

Shane Doherty ‏@ShaneDoherty9 4m

QR hiring 100 train drivers and 100 guards #9News

[red dragin]

Where do I sign up? 

[ozbob]

Where do I sign up? 

>> https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/aboutus/careers/frequently-asked-questions

[red dragin]

Where do I sign up? 

>> https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/aboutus/careers/frequently-asked-questions

Sorry, was just being cheeky 

Job's aren't listed yet. I have signed up to their job alert in the past, but have never received a alert email.

Webpage stalking it is for me.

[ozbob]

Yes, I expect that the details will be forthcoming over the next few days ...

Still, some good news.  They need more train crew for sure.

[red dragin]

Apparently only mentioned in Parliament, probably a while off then.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard: Ministerial Statements

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2016/2016_02_23_DAILY.pdf

New Generation Rollingstock, Wulkuraka Maintenance Centre

Hon. SJ HINCHLIFFE (Sandgate—ALP) (Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games)
(10.00 am): I am proud to advise the House that the $4.4 billion New Generation Rollingstock, or NGR,
project is delivering hundreds of jobs for the people of Queensland. I am delighted that this project has
generated almost 500 design and construction full-time jobs for Ipswich and Brisbane during the
construction of the Wulkuraka maintenance centre and ongoing delivery of the NGR. This will include
131 management, design and commissioning positions and 215 construction jobs created at the
maintenance facility at Wulkuraka. The Palaszczuk government made a commitment to creating jobs,
and that is what has been done. Some 150 ongoing full-time jobs have been generated to continue
servicing the trains at the maintenance centre over the next 30 years. The flow-on effect of this
multibillion-dollar investment in Queensland's public transport landscape will help stimulate the local
Ipswich economy and further deliver an estimated 1,500 indirect jobs. As of 30 November 2015, almost
60 per cent of the current workforce at Wulkuraka maintenance centre came from a 15-kilometre radius
of Wulkuraka. This contract to maintain the rollingstock at Wulkuraka is for 30 years, which means at
least three decades of job creation for South-East Queensland.

Queensland Rail is also currently in the process of recruiting 100 full-time train drivers and 100
guards. The Bombardier NGR consortium has a local industry participation plan that is audited every
six months and reviewed by this government. At the last audit in September last year, Bombardier
reported that it had engaged in more than 200 contracts with Australian businesses—89 across
South-East Queensland and 13 across regional Queensland. The 75 new trains will be delivered over
a three-year period and are expected to be operational by the second half of 2018. The NGR project
represents a significant investment in trains and will support the government's long-term commitment
in public transport, delivering for the people of Queensland now and into the future.

[red dragin]

 

I'd just Googled "QLD Hansard"

[Derwan]

Imagine how much they'd save if it was 100 drivers - and no guards.........

Imagine how much MORE they'd save if they retrained 100 current guards as drivers without replacing them..........

Imagining is about all we'll do in Queensland!

[ozbob]

LOL

Meanwhile

Brisbanetimes --> Questions begin as rail passengers left behind

" ... Mr Wright said the new train driver positions were being offered to existing Queensland Rail staff first. ... "

[petey3801]

Drivers have been selected from guards, with guards roles being bacm filled both internally and externally (the external recruitment was late last year).

[JustSomeTrainGuy]

Hi all, I've only just got around to signing up after "stalking" this place for quite some time.

Just thought I'd share a bit of "inside" news in regards to QR's external recruitment process. I applied to be a train driver when QR opened up to external recruitment, completed the online psychometric testing and was (to my surprise) very successful. However, since receiving the initial email from QR (see below), I still have not, 6 months later, received any other information from them. So when QR says that they are in the "final stages" of the external recruitment process, they aren't; they have barely even commenced this process.

[ozbob]

Welcome JSTG !

Yo, it is difficult to believe the ' official line '.  We know from other feedback too, similar to yourself, that external recruitment has been stalled for a while now. We understand it has been due to the disputes in the FWC, although this is denied by the Government et al.

Hopefully the wheels will start turning soon.

[locojoe67]

Another (external) applicant here. Heard nothing in May and we're halfway through June.

Media reports indicated QR won a Fair Work case in May,  allowing it to advertise externally. The issue was whether the 2017 Traincrew agreement was being breached by inviting externals to apply.

Theoretically, this advertising was done last year in the application round that closed in September 2017 for drivers and guards. Maybe that wasn't the case but qr has not admitted anything. Another quandary to ponder on.

Meanwhile, media reports state there has been a net increase of 38 drivers since October 2016.

I think the rbtu has a lot to answer for, in deliberately making life more difficult for seq commuters. Why can't we sue them?

In addition, the recruitment login page, run by pageup, has apparently had a security breach and our personal details might have been stolen. Aurizon has acknowledged it, qr has not and has removed all the jobs on its vacancies page.

So now, as well as having nothing to show for nine months of recruiting, we've been subjected to identity theft and fraud.

If it was happening elsewhere, we might groan and point the finger. But we're supposed to be a first world country. Instead we seem to be sinking into corporate cronyism, denial of responsibility and the acceptance of mediocrity as a good workplace outcome.

[#Metro]

Not sure what a corporation has to do with it... QR represents the State. In any case, is it true that under the new EBA QR cannot recruit externally unless it recruits internally first?

[techblitz]

In addition, the recruitment login page, run by pageup, has apparently had a security breach and our personal details might have been stolen. Aurizon has acknowledged it, qr has not and has removed all the jobs on its vacancies page.

So now, as well as having nothing to show for nine months of recruiting, we've been subjected to identity theft and fraud.

If it was happening elsewhere, we might groan and point the finger. But we're supposed to be a first world country. Instead we seem to be sinking into corporate cronyism, denial of responsibility and the acceptance of mediocrity as a good workplace outcome.

yep...mediocrity defines todays Australia. Outsourcing or entrusting critical services to contractors defines us today..... all to save a few bucks.
The people in charge of these decisions to outsource are easily sold by the sales pitch of these third party providers while being oblivious to that providers ability to defend its cloud infrastructure from attack...

[locojoe67]

Had our first phishing attempt today thanks to QRs use of pageup. An attempt at PayPal fraud via a suggested software download or I'd be locked out of my account.

Nice to know my personal details are out there, seeing the world thanks to qr sponsorship of third party recruitment companies.

If anyone else gets this one, forward it straight to phishing@paypal.com.au and delete it from your records.

As usual, don't click on any links in the email either.

[techblitz]

^ the scary thing is a lot more big name companies are now moving all the important stuff to the cloud because of its scalability benefits.

One of the main issues though is you need a browser to access it......which means all the hotshot developers need to keep a consistent eye on any new security flaws from old browsers that may arise over time.
A lot of them put that into the 'too boring' basket.

An example is the other day I logged into tattsbet just to check my balance for a bet on the origin. Because it was done via an old browser(iE11)....it exposed a variable name instead of the data that was supposed to be showing. That variable alone is enough for any good hacker to exploit.

The cloud is starting to look like the bitcoin cloud......popular/disruptive/trending/game changing blah blah blah....but in the end...just another victim of programmers lack of effort in making it secure from hackers.
Its all for nothing if you cant secure it.

[locojoe67]

When my current employer took up third party recruit vetting, there were protests. But it still happened regardless.

The economies of scale mean that risk becomes a dollar figure, to be used in corporate virtue signalling and political point scoring to advance manager careers. The potential damages and threat to employee well being from identity theft, which can take years to unravel if ever, don't even rank consideration.

This is the outcome when we're classed as resources, not people; This is why organisational structures encourage psychopathy, and why they get ahead.

[PoliticalFootball]

All major companies are doing it. Just received my 5th email this morning about the PageUp breach and that my personal details most likely accessed.

[JustSomeTrainGuy]

Just an update; QR has progressed applications to the psychomotor testing at Rail Centre 1

[ozbob]

^

Thanks for the update 

[locojoe67]

Psychometric testing is well in the rear view mirror and not a peep from QR.

Suspect I did a lot better this time due to the practice effects. Time will tell. Just hate waiting.

[PoliticalFootball]

Psychometry testing is well in the rear view mirror and not a peep from QR.

Suspect I did a lot better this time due to the practice effects. Time will tell. Just hate waiting.

Given the sheer number of applications you'll need to be patient.

[locojoe67]

It's been 11 months so far.  And emails are out today inviting poeple to a group exercise of about 45 minutes duration.

[JustSomeTrainGuy]

Honestly, I'm not sure if they're taking it seriously or are just really desperate for drivers; I received one of these emails too and I didn't think I did particularly well on the psychomotor testing

[#Metro]

11 months? Who has the luxury of waiting that long?

#RecruitmentFail?

[red dragin]

I don't think it made it here, but on a similar thread on Whirlpool, one person made it through to the "your employed, we'll let you know eventually when you start" step. Told his boss, got sacked.

The guy had to work several jobs to make ends meet. Can't find the thread again to see if he is through yet.

[achiruel]

I don't think it made it here, but on a similar thread on Whirlpool, one person made it through to the "your employed, we'll let you know eventually when you start" step. Told his boss, got sacked.

The guy had to work several jobs to make ends meet. Can't find the thread again to see if he is through yet.

I'm wondering why they didn't take action against their former employer. Telling your employer you're thinking of leaving is generally grounds for an unfair dismissal claim.

[red dragin]

I don't think it made it here, but on a similar thread on Whirlpool, one person made it through to the "your employed, we'll let you know eventually when you start" step. Told his boss, got sacked.

The guy had to work several jobs to make ends meet. Can't find the thread again to see if he is through yet.

I'm wondering why they didn't take action against their former employer. Telling your employer you're thinking of leaving is generally grounds for an unfair dismissal claim.

I copped what was probably an unfair dismissal. Was advised it wasn't worth the stress and time it would take to get an outcome. I've just watched that business go downhill since as karma 

In ole mates case, fighting them wouldn't put food on the table. May have also been a contractor too, I don't think he went into too much detail.

[techblitz]

turning to social media is another avenue that people getting unfairly dismissed can take...
If enough people share it then it could get press coverage....we all know what happens then...the employer goes into recover-preserve-image mode.....your pretty much guaranteed to get your job back then....

[locojoe67]

Honestly, I'm not sure if they're taking it seriously or are just really desperate for drivers; I received one of these emails too and I didn't think I did particularly well on the psychomotor testing

I think it reflects the underlying priorities. The psychomotor testing suggest a minimum standard required for safety reasons,  whereas the next stage is a group exercise assessing behaviour in groups.

Which would we rather have - a driver that is safe and competent, or a driver that socialises really well?

I am aware that these are not mutually exclusive, and from listening to radio transmissions there are some complex interactions relayed with drivers. All I'm saying is that emphasis on group behaviour is misplaced when it isnt measuring abilities specifically related to the job itself. A solitary job relying heavily on radio communication and performed over shifts. What appeal would that have to outgoing social butterflies?

At this stage I daresay the whole recruitment process is more of a public relations exercise than an attempt to hire train crew. When the new hires finally start, they will take another 12 months at a minimum before they're signed off, meaning railfail is here to stay for some time yet.

And the only people with the stamina for a year long recruit process are probably those with current jobs....

[red dragin]

Which would we rather have - a driver that is safe and competent, or a driver that socialises really well?

Is it perhaps about a driver that is prepared to speak to others when something is bothering them or an issue happens, than keep it to themselves, that they are after?

[locojoe67]

I very much doubt that. The ability to communicate is not limited to extroverts. But the mindless focus on irrelevant skills will mean some very competent job applicants won't ever get hired, becuase the HR ditz decided they didn't sufficiently influence the group discussion.

Plenty of those who do get hired will move on after a relatively short period, costing the organisation even more in lost training investment. It's a discussion I'm contributing to at my current employer,  where they are making similar errors. Problem is the lag time between the hire and the ongoing attrition and transfer losses means it is often overlooked as an issue. Organisations are obsessively focussed on short term outcomes, because that is what gets rewarded.

Long term results are irrelevant. But they shouldn't be.

[JustSomeTrainGuy]

Unbelievable

In July 2018 we advised you that you were among the top performing candidates in the onsite psychometric assessment for the Trainee Driver. We indicated that we would progress you to the next stage of the process (Assessment Centre, conducted at our Brisbane office) in October 2018.



Due to changes in operational requirements we will need to postpone the Assessment Centre until first quarter of 2019. We will be in touch in January 2019 to provide a further update to you and we will endeavour to give you as much notice as possible. Please continue to check your e-mails for correspondence regarding your application.

[SurfRail]

I think you're being told a long story that doesn't go anywhere.