Personally I think that there has been a general de-skilling evident in some of the trainees that i saw at West Drayton. i could never put my finger on it, but there was a lack of depth of knowledge, maybe even depth of interest in the job and the environment - but i saw that among the ATSA grade as well. Many of the students coming through, didn't know the basics - aircraft types etc (even down to numbers of engines) and worse, they didn't seem to care either...
The cutbacks in college training can only make the situation worse, but i think that the problems start all the way back at recruitment, with too many people applying for the salary, arther than the job. i'm not advocating taking on plane spotters and ATC junkies, but I have sat next to people before interview who were doing the usual rounds, with NATS one day and a merchant bank the next. ATC isn't that sort of job...
Just my opinion of course...