At Biggin we have received our new format 'harmonised' Euro licences. They came in a Do-It-Yourself Blue Peter style flat pack.
This has got me wondering....in our position in the employment pecking order we quite frequently acquire our new controllers from either smaller, Aerodrome only units, where staff wish to move on career wise, or from failed cadets etc who benefit from a fresh approach. Under the old system an Aerodrome Control Rating was usable everywhere. Now, we have Aerodrome (Instrument) and Aerodrome (Visual) ratings.
As occasionally happens we are in the market for more contollers again (interested parties PM me or E mail
[email protected] )
but now if I try and recruit from the smaller airfields they may not have the ADI rating. Also what is the plan at the CATC? Are they going to continue with training their cadets to Aerodrome level before going on to Area, if so what type of Aerodrome rating will they get before being chopped at Area Radar?
All this has the potential to create an even greater shortage of ATCO's than the one we are currently facing and leaves me a smaller pool to look into.
...and before anyone mentions why dont we pay for courses for ATCA's to become ATCO's, we do that but the time taken to get the finished useable product is too long to meet our current shortage.
Regards
SATCO Biggin