I've heard the phrase "support free environment" bandied about now for several years. The premise being that the ATCO takes on the support roles during their downtime and gives the support tasking the required priority when they are busy. Probably ok when the ATCO is operating during quiet times or when traffic is straightforward, definitely not ok at any other time!
Bottom line is that a well trained and professional assistant is worth every penny. In my humble opinion anyway. Snag is the accountants only see someone who is costing them money and doesn't hold a licence therefore there must be a way of negating that cost. Cost of contract comes first, every single time.