until they have a licence, they shouldn't count!
I know what you mean, but some would have a licence, they are changing groups or locations. I think it's not unrealistic to count them, as no doubt ASA is counting them in their total figure of 972 controllers. It still begs the question of where are these people hiding? Discount the ASA figure by 80 or so for long term illness, LWOP and Mat leave; so where are the
140 controllers? All on projects, in management, in training, where? Are any of them coming back to a console?