I fully understand the licencing implications and that the new course will prepare the cadets better than the old course, however the students that are already at EGLL and EGKK were on the old style course weren't they?
I can also see where your coming from in giving new people a chance but an APC costs around £1000 at any reasonable priced college, where as an Aerodrome Rating from scratch costs around £12000.
A total saving of £11000 pounds in training costs per student leaving the new blood to be trained straight to Area and solving the ever increasing shortage problem at the Airports and NERC.
Lets face it, with the NATS over and above standard of training, they must have had some talent to get an Aerodrome rating in the first place musn't they? Plus the majority of airports have been surviving on ex-NATS area cadets anyway.