I don't think anyone would argue that 14k is quite generous for someone who's, say, just left college with no commitments and isn't providing a productive return to NATS.
However, I think this move will remove a sizeable chunk of the recruitment 'pool' by making the initial salary so low as to dissuade older applicants from making a career switch. Surely few atsa's or RAF atco's will be able to bridge the financial gulf even if the will and enthusiam is there.
As an aside; if this is a calculated move by NATS to lower the age of applicants then this is a legitimate and, I suspect, very effective move.