Bonniciwah, while a PPL might provide a useful background the relevant knowledge isn't stuff you couldn't pick up by reading and a bit of study. It's not going to help you get through the selection process.
That's interesting (and disappointing). I've got my PPL test in the next week - a large part of my life that I undertook with the express intention of strengthening my application for ATC. I guess it looks like it may have been in vain...
Not to mention the thousands of dollars...