A 22-YEAR-old has told how he landed a £50,000 starter job after skipping university completely.
George Browning, from Portsmouth, has become Southern Rail‘s youngest ever trainee train driver.
Growing up, George dreamed of becoming a train driver or a pilot. But the costly qualifications needed to fly planes made his choice easy.
“I finished my A-levels on Friday and started my apprenticeship with Govia Thameslink Railway on Monday,” he told the Telegraph.
Browning’s pals are green with envy, especially amid the ongoing train strikes that have left many commuters fuming.
“When I tell people I work on the railway, the first question I get is, ‘Have you done your strike training yet?’”.
Read more on side hustles
Since the summer of 2022, a bitter dispute between Aslef and 16 train companies has caused massive disruptions, earning train drivers some serious side-eye from the public.
PERKS OF THE JOB
Four years of hands-on experience later, he’s living his dream, becoming Southern Rail’s youngest trainee train driver.
Now, George spends his days learning the ropes in the driver’s cab, supervised by an instructor.
“Every day is different. My office is a moving train, which is quite cool”.
With a £30,000 apprentice salary and a £50,000 starter salary, it’s no wonder his friends are jealous.
And the perks don’t stop there – enviable benefits, a potential four-day workweek, and a clear path to a £60,000 average salary make train driving a highly sought-after career for Generation Z.
“When I was a kid, I had no idea how much train drivers earn,” George said. “I didn’t even know what striking was. It’s just the job I always wanted.”
Despite the perks, the job isn’t without its challenges. Long hours, intense training, and the pressure of ensuring passenger safety are part of the package.
“If I screw up or make a mistake, that’s a big deal. You’ve got thousands of people on your train.”
While many of George’s peers viewed university as the only path to success, he took a different route.
“The monotony of a desk job never appealed to me,” he said.
“You’re doing the same thing every day and you feel like a bit of a robot.”
Instead, he embraced the opportunity to start his career early, dodging the student debt that burdens many young adults.
As George looks to the future, he sees himself staying in the industry, possibly driving the Eurostar or Orient Express one day.
For now, he’s content with his choice, even if it makes his friends a bit jealous.
“I think I’ll be doing this forever,” he said.
Elsewhere, a job expert shares how to boost your income by £33,000 a year for free – without a degree.
And don’t miss these expert tips on how to kick start your career this summer and earn extra cash.
Meanwhile, this woman revealed she makes £2000 a month from a side hustle that you can do from the sofa.
How Train Driver Strikes Have Crippled the UK as Workers Call for MORE Money
More travel chaos is expected to hit Brits as industrial action and engineering works cripple the UK’s transport network.
Strikes sparked chaos on the country’s transport network over the bank holiday weekend.
And now another set are expected on Saturday, June 8.
In Early May, the country saw a six-day overtime ban and three one-day strikes by the train drivers’ union Aslef, severely impacting services.
The Union has said its privately contracted members are paid less than directly employed Northern Rail staff and do not receive other benefits.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said “we can’t allow this injustice” and that is why “members are taking MORE strikes”.
Additional Complications are also set to take place, further disturbing transport with engineering works.
Scheduled maintenance on key routes, including the West Coast Main Line and Great Eastern Main Line, will further reduce service availability.
With rail services disrupted, more than 20 million car journeys are expected, leading to severe delays on major routes including the M25 and M5.