Jobseekers
How can I get Work in the Rail Industry?
Signet Solutions are not a recruiting agency. We do not place people in jobs, nor will our Signal Engineering Training courses guarantee you any employment in the Rail Signalling industry.
Our specialised training courses are used by employers in the industry to train their staff to perform specialised job roles. Employers in the industry do not normally expect you to have attended this specialist training before you start employment.
As many candidates are eager to get a foot in the door we would generally advise against attending rail industry training courses in the hope of securing employment in the future. However, if you are determined to attend a course at your own expense, we would recommend our Introduction to Signalling (Basic Signalling 1 & 2) course which we offer on an Open Programme for individuals to attend.
This gives good underpinning knowledge which is needed to become a Signal Engineer. We also combine the BS1/2 with a Mod 5 Test Assistant course (see our course specifications for further information. Whilst we cannot guarantee employment and we would certainly recommend that you try to apply directly to Employers before spending your own personal funds where possible, however this may be an option for you to gain employment.
We recommend when applying for jobs within the rail industry that you apply to reputable organisations offering permanent jobs. Reputable organisations offering permanent jobs seek applicants with relevant academic qualifications and/ or suitable electrical and mechanical experience gained in other industries. They do not always seek applicants who have already attended specialised rail industry courses, however not averse to those with some underpinning knowledge.
The types of qualifications and experience which rail industry employers seek would typically be:
- For school leavers, a reasonable pass in applied science or physics.
- For Jobseekers wishing to join the rail signalling industry at a later point in their careers, a vocational qualification such as NVQ or City & Guilds in an electrical field would be desirable.
- Rail signalling control is today mostly electromechanical or computer based. This means that you should have some electrical experience or aptitude to get you started. A mechanical aptitude is also beneficial, as points and level crossing barriers are required to be moved by electrical control systems.
There are many organisations in the rail industry offering job opportunities. Below are some links to the careers pages of a small selection. There are many more to find.
- Amey Careers Section
- Babcock Rail Careers
- Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty’s Careers
- Resonate Careers
- Siemens Rail Systems Careers
- Network Rail Network Rail’s Career’s page
- Transport for London Careers Section
- Atkins Global Vacancies
Finally, beware of “jobs” websites advertising individual vacancies for permanent or short term positions. Such companies are not offering employment, they are seeking commission. They will tend to give poor advice in terms of training needs and employment prospects.
Good Luck!Can I work for Signet Solutions?
Signet Solutions are always keen to recruit new training consultants to our team.
Ideal candidates will:
- Hold an academic qualification preferably to Level 4
- Be both an experienced engineer and communicator
- Have a presentable and professional bearing
- Ideally but not essentially, have railway specific experience
We will offer a competitive salary to suitable candidates. Our work is predominantly based at our Derby training centre but will involve travel to customer sites elsewhere from time to time.
If you are interested, please send your CV and letter demonstrating how you meet the above criteria to