I have heard people say that "at least they get a wage, trainee pilots don't."
Well Trainee atcos dont get to fly planes, they get to sit in a boscombe b&b reading the most boring manuals in the world in the hope that one day they can sit in a dingy room at 3 o'clock in the morning talking sh1t and eating crisps.
But trainee ATC'ers also don't have to go in huge debt to qualify to earn a decent wage.