ATC Opportunities in the UK

[YWG ATC]

I'll apologize now if this has been discussed and answered before.

I'm an air traffic controller from Canada who is interested in going somewhere else to apply my trade. Through ancestry I'm legally entitled to live and work in the UK. What are the prospects like for controllers from other countries coming to the UK, ie does the UK only hire UK citizens? How much experience do they (NATS?) want you to have? Do you have to have experience in more than one type of ATC (ie Tower, Terminal, Enroute)? Are there any age limitations (I'm 28 now)? If one was accepted/hired is there a fast-track training programme, or does one start off as though you had no previous experience? How long would the training programme be? Thanks in advance,

Jeff

[elandel]

Fancy a swap?

[1261]

There is a facility in the UK to do an APC [Assessment of Prior Competence] course; this skips the formal college course but almost certainly means that you'll still have to do the rating exams. These days in the UK, people generally train as either area (enroute/terminal) or approach (tower/approach/terminal). The licence ratings for each are different over here.

For some odd reason (probably one of our many curiously old-fashioned union agreements) experience seems to be of no consequence to NATS (unless you want to go to Manchester!); you could be posted straight from the college to Heathrow or Gatwick. Or Farnborough, or Cardiff....

Bear in mind also that airport ATC is fully deregulated in the UK - many of the smaller regional airports employ their own controllers, many on better (in one way or another) terms than NATS. In practice, however, NATS provides ATS at all of the busier (in IFR terms) airports.

As far as nationality is concerned, as long as you have the right to live and work in the UK, you're set.

[YWG ATC]

elandel - I'll swap you in a heartbeat :) Are you sure you want to do that?

1261 - thanks for the info, do you know if there are upper age restrictions?

Cheers,

Jeff

[1261]

As far as I'm aware, there is no upper age restriction if you've previous experience in ATC (the limit for ab-initio training is 29; they have an opt-out from the EU's anti-ageism laws!).

If you're seriously interested in coming over here, send me an e-mail and I'll try to put you in touch with someone who can answer your questions with a little more authority.

[x-border]

YWG ATC

I have experience of entering NATS through the APC route, converting from military to a civilian licence. I suspect the APC route you would follow would be the same:

If you enter NATS through the APC route to convert your licences, you will be assessed over 3 days (each) in aerodrome and radar. If you are deemed to be of a sufficient standard (as an current controller there should be no problems), you then carry out aproximately 3 months training (each) on aerodrome and approach radar. NATS pay you as a student as you go through this shortened course, and you negotiate where you will finally be posted to before you start.

Speak directly to NATS Airports Personnel Dept (020 8745 3721) - they're a friendly bunch and will advise you better. Good luck.

[Barnaby the Bear]

Perhaps you could tell me what the chances of someone with a Student Tower ATCO licence, has of getting a job in Canada as there aren't many here!!!