Business

Northern is recruiting dozens of new train conductors in Greater Manchester – and you don’t even need experience

"No one should think the railway ‘isn’t for them’ - it’s an industry with much to offer."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 21st September 2023

Northern is currently on a recruitment drive, and is keen to welcome dozens of new train conductors to its Greater Manchester team.

And you don’t even need any prior experience to apply for the role.

The rail company is looking to hire as many as 74 new train conductors for its bases in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire over the next 12 months, and is urging anyone that finds themselves at a “career crossroads” to strongly consider sticking an application in as no previous rail industry experience is required.

This is because thorough training will be given to all new recruits through an apprenticeship at Northern’s academies in Manchester and Leeds city centres.

Northern is recruiting dozens of new train conductors in Greater Manchester / Credit: Northern

Luckily, for anyone who lives locally and is thinking about applying, the Greater Manchester roles will be based at either Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Victoria stations, but for those over the border or who don’t mind travelling a little further, the Yorkshire roles will be based at either Doncaster, Leeds, Skipton, or York. 

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The role of a Train Conductor at Northern has a salary of £29,000 once fully qualified, and comes with a wide range of benefits – including things like free train travel.

Initial training takes 12 weeks, and the apprenticeship is complete within a year.

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No previous rail industry experience is required for the roles on offer / Credit: Northern

“The days when apprenticeships were just for school or college leavers are long gone,” admits Lisa Leighton, who is the People Director at Northern.

“But that perception remains and it can be a barrier to more experienced people putting in an application, as lots of jobs have transferable skills that the rail industry can benefit from, so anyone that fancies taking their career in a completely fresh direction should give it go.

“Some of the people working on-board our trains today started their career in very different arenas, from the prison service and cabin crew to social care and financial services.

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“No one should think the railway ‘isn’t for them’ – it’s an industry with much to offer.”

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Recruitment for the first of the 74 positions is already underway, with regular opportunities to apply as jobs are released between now and August 2024, so for more information on the roles out there, you can check out Northern’s website.

Fancy it then? Get your applications in here.

Featured Image – Northern

Business

Premier League agrees new spending cap after ‘majority of clubs’ vote in favour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Premier League clubs agree vote for new spending cap

The Premier League has reached an agreement in principle on a new spending cap for all teams as the English top flight looks to replace the current Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Set to be installed from the 2025/26 season onwards once fully ratified, revised spending limits will placed on teams in the first division, the number for which will be calculated in relation to a multiple of the money earned in prize money and TV rights by the lowest-earning club in the Premier League.

If approved at the AGM (annual general meeting) this June, the new model will replace the existing PSR system under which multiple clubs have broken FFP and been charged with other breaches over recent years, with Everton and Nottingham Forest having already been deducted points this season.

Although 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs reportedly agreed to the newly proposed regulations, four clubs were not in favour, with Manchester City, Man United and Aston Villa all said to have voted against the decision, while Chelsea chose to abstain.

The proposed spending cap wouldn’t come into effect until the 2025/26 Premier League season.

The new max-spending model is being referred to as ‘anchoring’ or ‘tethering’, which will take into account total amounts spent on buying players, weekly wages, agents’ fees and more.

If successful following a final vote in June and brought through the season after next, the aim is to curb the increasing financial gap between the top and bottom of the table by preventing things like big sponsorships which may otherwise see clubs assert massive spending power during transfer windows.

According to the Independent, cost controls will now “limit club expenditure on salaries, signing and fees to 85 per cent of total revenue” for those not competing in European competitions.

This comes after Premier League teams previously the latest UEFA rules that will see those playing in the likes of the Champions, Europa and Conference League only allowed to spend 70% of that revenue, given the added financial uplift from qualifying for these tournaments.

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While 16 yeas were enough to see the initial vote move forward, it will only require 14 out of 20 clubs to agree to the rule change in June for the motion to be fully passed.

A Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) spokesperson said: “We will obviously wait to see further details of these specific proposals, but we have always been clear that we would oppose any measure that would place a ‘hard’ cap on player wages.

“There is an established process in place to ensure that proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, have to be properly consulted on.”

It will be interesting to see how these new rules will factor into the wider decision-making regarding Man City, with 115 breaches of UEFA’s FFP regulations still looming over the City Football Group.

What punishment could Manchester City face for FFP breaches?
Over a year on and they’re not closer to finding out their fate.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — SonoGrazy (via Wikimedia Commons)

Business

2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Marathon raises millions for city economy and local charity

Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.

This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.

As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.

Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.

The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.

Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie. 

Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.

Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.

The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.

Fundraising from the Manchester Marathon is one of it’s biggest upshots.

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This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.

This was a 20% increase on 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.

With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons. 

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Adidas Manchester Marathon/The Manc Group

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