ASA employment
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Join Date: Feb 2008
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ASA employment
Just thought I would start a thread for those that are waiting on job offers from ASA. It is exciting knowing that I could be starting an ATC career with ASA. Regardless of all the politics that is currently going on, there is a supply demand inbalance and there are those like myself that have applied and who have gotten throught to the interview stage.
Lets hope that from now onwarads staffing levels will be improved within the company. If you are waiting on a job offer send your thoughts this way.
Lets hope that from now onwarads staffing levels will be improved within the company. If you are waiting on a job offer send your thoughts this way.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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It's a nervous wait. I'm expecting a response before Easter, but that's only 4 more working days away. I know some of you have had their references contacted. I'm not sure if my current boss has been. I'm hoping so.
Despite whatever politics and management issues are around, I'm keen to get stuck into the training. Will be devastated with a negative response, although I'm well aware the supply/demand equation is in my favour.
Here's hoping.
Good luck to the others.
Despite whatever politics and management issues are around, I'm keen to get stuck into the training. Will be devastated with a negative response, although I'm well aware the supply/demand equation is in my favour.
Here's hoping.
Good luck to the others.
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Next ab initio course starts in April with, a little birdie tells me, only 8 recruits instead of the normal 12. Apparently we're getting heaps of applicants but the quality has dropped off in recent years. More courses scheduled, next in June I think, then another.
The average age of courses has increased over the years. When I did mine back in the seventies, a 25yo was the old man of the course. Now they're amongst the youngest on the courses. However the pass rate doesn't seem to have changed.
The whole recruitment thing needs addressing. It takes too long from initial application to commencing a course.
The average age of courses has increased over the years. When I did mine back in the seventies, a 25yo was the old man of the course. Now they're amongst the youngest on the courses. However the pass rate doesn't seem to have changed.
The whole recruitment thing needs addressing. It takes too long from initial application to commencing a course.
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So it sounds like they are getting plenty of interest but the quality of the applicants is generally low. Are you saying therefore that they are lowering their standards?
What used to be the average age?
What used to be the average age?
Join Date: Jan 2004
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The average age of courses has increased over the years. When I did mine back in the seventies, a 25yo was the old man of the course.
Short Term course (for those with previous avaition experience, e.g. CPL, mil ATC, Flight Service Officer) had no age restriction.
If you did your long term course in the seventies, you might need that zimmer frame to get around the ops room?
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I got results after the online tests within a week from memory. Don't expect to find out what result you got or what the pass mark is. You'll just get a "Well Done, Pass" or "Bad Luck, Fail".
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Are you saying therefore that they are lowering their standards?
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Maybe if they're going down alphabetically, I should've changed my name to Aaaaaa_LeviTate. 
I'm not worried, really. I can just imagine when they talk to my current boss, they'll feel like they're being interviewed themselves. She'll ask questions like "when we he get an answer? when will he start the course?, etc." All the things I've just learnt to live with waiting. She'll wonder what kind of operation AsA are running
I'm not worried, really. I can just imagine when they talk to my current boss, they'll feel like they're being interviewed themselves. She'll ask questions like "when we he get an answer? when will he start the course?, etc." All the things I've just learnt to live with waiting. She'll wonder what kind of operation AsA are running
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There was a meeting this week in Brisbane between management and controllers. I wasn't there but the following was reported on our Civil Air site:
"Meeting then opened to questions
Q. Relating to college and training and recruitment (sounded like a Dorothy Dixer from one of the SDEs)
• Need to recruit large number of ATCs, more Global recruits expected in mid year.
• 50%pass rate from college for ENR, and 80% for TWR courses.
• Need to look at how we place trainees into the field
• Looking at the wage parity at RAAF and Global Recruits
• JH “Operating environment completely different “have to use different methodology (in recruitment) with competition not only locally but globally.
• JH “Have to be competitive in the market”, by attracting staff with a “decent pay incentive”
• JH Acknowledges the need to “retain staff”
• Got to get away from the reliance on Overtime.
• Lots of talk about how good the Academy is and how it can do it better."
and the following worthwhile comment:
"no mention of assuming they successfully recruit 100 trainees how they will get them through the successive bottlenecks of the college, simulator and final field training".
Yep, a big problem.
I think the actual academy success rate is better than 50%, which simply measures how many went in and how many finally rated. It doesn't take into account resignations (which may be due to poor perfromance or personal circumstances such as marital problems, etc), deaths, backcoursing due illness, etc. I think the enroute success rate is about 80%.
The fact is, some trainees pass out of the academy with marginal passes, others slack off and don't study, others decide that the job is not for them, either because of the shiftwork or responsibility. Recently heard of one failing his/her enroute rating paper - there's no excuse for that and I've never heard of it happening before. Controllers in the field are very intolerant of slackers and shirkers. You've got to give 100%.
"Meeting then opened to questions
Q. Relating to college and training and recruitment (sounded like a Dorothy Dixer from one of the SDEs)
• Need to recruit large number of ATCs, more Global recruits expected in mid year.
• 50%pass rate from college for ENR, and 80% for TWR courses.
• Need to look at how we place trainees into the field
• Looking at the wage parity at RAAF and Global Recruits
• JH “Operating environment completely different “have to use different methodology (in recruitment) with competition not only locally but globally.
• JH “Have to be competitive in the market”, by attracting staff with a “decent pay incentive”
• JH Acknowledges the need to “retain staff”
• Got to get away from the reliance on Overtime.
• Lots of talk about how good the Academy is and how it can do it better."
and the following worthwhile comment:
"no mention of assuming they successfully recruit 100 trainees how they will get them through the successive bottlenecks of the college, simulator and final field training".
Yep, a big problem.
I think the actual academy success rate is better than 50%, which simply measures how many went in and how many finally rated. It doesn't take into account resignations (which may be due to poor perfromance or personal circumstances such as marital problems, etc), deaths, backcoursing due illness, etc. I think the enroute success rate is about 80%.
The fact is, some trainees pass out of the academy with marginal passes, others slack off and don't study, others decide that the job is not for them, either because of the shiftwork or responsibility. Recently heard of one failing his/her enroute rating paper - there's no excuse for that and I've never heard of it happening before. Controllers in the field are very intolerant of slackers and shirkers. You've got to give 100%.
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Enroute 22: 12 started the course and they graduated yesterday with 11 getting through. The other person did not fail but realised it wasn't their cup of tea.
dont know where the 50% figure comes from.
dont know where the 50% figure comes from.
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The college over the last few years has been passing plenty of people that should not have got to the field. They are basically too gutless to fail people and leave it to the field controllers to waste time training and then failing people that should never have left the college.
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There doesn't seem to be much if any information on the college, it seems to be "Top Secret". Does anyone know the numbers of applicants and those that were interviewed. How many trainees will they take into the college from that group? I think we find out late next week?
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Knackers, Thanks for the info, good to see that at least they appear to be semi-proactive, or at least aware of personnel issues.
Ferris is right, not exactly the AsA whinge forum. I think most of us here are fairly positive about future employment with AsA and excited about our prospects.
Does anyone have any info on how many students will be on each course?
Ferris is right, not exactly the AsA whinge forum. I think most of us here are fairly positive about future employment with AsA and excited about our prospects.
Does anyone have any info on how many students will be on each course?