many other countries have similar trainings (Germany, England, Canada, Australia)
Just for info - not Australia -
some of the few airlines here who actually have dispatch are living in the dark ages. They pretty much do what they want, and is it not uncommon to find managers who have no idea of the significance of the role(s) the dispatcher plays. (By dispatcher, let me reiterate we are talking principally about flight planning.)
Australia is way behind in comparison to Europe and Canada, although there has been talk of creating and putting standards in place along the lines of the ICAO recommendations for some years now. Until all the holes line up and something dangerous or serious happens, nothing will happen, if you know what I mean. (Mind you, do you consider planning and dispatching a flight on months old TAFs and NOTAMs serious? It has happened. That's ignorance, negligence, poor training, poor staffing and lack of supervision for you.)
On another side of dispatch, I wonder, with the price of fuel nowadays, whether airlines might wake up and stop treating their dispatchers like cr@p and realise they can save huge $$$ if they properly select, train and renumerate their dispatchers, let alone staff their sections properly. I suspect there are some "managers", for want of a better word, who have no idea how much a good dispatcher can save them if given the time to flight plan properly.
Oops, I've gone off topic...
And on the subject of the FAA Dispatcher's license, I agree that generally it is the most recognised license globally and based on what I have heard about Sheffield, they seem like a good outfit.
If you like to crunch numbers and analyse weather and want a job where every day is different and you thrive on challenges, I'd go for it
johncun47 especially since you are going to the USA where it is a profession that is held in some regard.
