Firstly, congratulations to those who've succeeded in the first stage of what will be a very long and difficult process! I hope you all continue to do well.
Secondly, to those who haven't heard yet, don't panic! As CTC-McAlpine need to fill courses that start soon, they will inevitably prioritise those who are available for the early courses. As Alpha Charlie has discovered, those who aren't available till later next year may currently wait a little longer for a reply. As the process settles down, and all involved get used to the procedures required, I'm sure that response times will improve. Right now, as you can imagine, they are inundated with applications! Just sifting through those that theoretically qualify and can make the early course dates is going to test them fully.
I understand from the company that they are intending to settle down to two complete selection procedures each month, all else being equal. As they start to get ahead of the game, they hope to be able to give you plenty of notice of your selection dates and, if successful, a choice of start dates.
A note to those who succeed at each stage: please let your colleagues here know what the procedures involved, how you approached them, and what you felt about things. I don't mean you to tell us what you wrote in your essays, for example, - I would hope that all of our wannabes have the power of individual thought - but just an overview of what to expect for those who follow in your footsteps. Can I suggest a seperate thread for this, as this one is getting a bit unmanageable!