The plan from what I have heard is this:
From January, all basic course do 4 weeks of "common core" theory, during which they also do a series of exercises on the different simulators (area, approach, aerodrome) and are assessed as to which of these disciplines is most likely to suit them.
After the 4 weeks, they split, the area-destined people do a "Basic Area" course, which when they pass they move on to Area Foundation as it is now with a much better background set of skills (3 strips per aircraft, no ATSCOA, etc)..
Those destined for approach or aerodrome then do 7 weeks of aerodrome sims (up until somewhere near cross runways I believe), with assessments, and then X weeks of approach sims (up until but not including the 'R1/R2' assessments, whatever they are I'm not sure). Then there's a series of assessments determining to some degree the next discipline split.
After that those who are doing aerodrome go off and finish the rest of the aerodrome course and disappear with their ADI rating having had quite a bit of approach experience. Those doing approach go and finish approach and disappear with their APC rating having had quite a bit of aerodrome experience. And those doing both, as now, go away having done both, but more of it since they didn't have to do the messy area/approach stuff that the poor basic courses of late have had to suffer through.
Theory is that it makes the aerodrome & approach people more rounded controllers with more experience of their sister discipline and the area people more likely to pass because of their added 7 weeks of pure area experience in basic. Also it all takes the same amount of time!
Sounds like a very good idea to me (having just done basic).
Last edited by timelapse; 17th Oct 2007 at 21:12.