help required in understanding my next immediate step

[rfreitas]

I find this post very usefull, as I was mistaken. I thought passing the exam M1, and 3 more would get me the license.
Arsenal49, how are your studys going?

Well, as it turns out, to gain this license you need to pass exams and to pass exams you must be working in the same field for one of the approved employers which seems the only way to actually be able to pass exams and be competent enough (seems like they discourage you to study in your own time towards this license! and move from other engineering discipline to railway signalling discipline)...

Seems like a vicious cycle to me where no outsider can study on his/her own to get the relevant qualification/license etc. ;you must be employed by one of the said employers and only then you stand any chance to clearing the exams and gaining license.

To me, that was just not possible as i wasnt working for one of these approved companies thus it wasnt worthwhile for me to study for these exams as i will never have gained the license because of lack of 'practical' skills.

I am personally disappointed a little bit because after looking at the modules and study material, i thought i would enjoy this type of work but alas, unless you are already in the circle of railway signalling (i.e. working professionally) , there is no hope...

I am sure the powers at be have very good reason for this type of framework towards gaining license but noone can deny the fact that this is very discouraging to all those young (and old) engineers who have been working in a railway environment and want to move into signalling discipline but can't because of these artificial road-blocks.

rfreitas, What is your background and your motivation to gain this license? are you uk-based?

Thanks

Thank you for your reply. I'm not U.K. based right now. But I'm available to relocate, since I'm not getting any job offers back at Portugal at any discipline. Company's here tend to recruit only if you already have some background in the same industry or if you are fresh out of university. :S
Seems like i'm stuck in a loop. When I had no experience, that was the main road block. Right now is having experience in another field of operation. That and discovering that being 35 is being to old to get a job.