Fidgell,
Those are two of the most disgraceful posts I have read in the ATC section. You intimate that the training system chops people indiscriminately whether they deserve it or not-well that's just a load of BALIX and you know it. I suspect from your post that you failed at LATCC-well how many hours were you given-very few are chopped at less than 300 hours of live training and if they are then it is clear that they are not going to make it at that unit.
The training pressures at LACC and TC are far ahead of what is experienced at the other area units just because there are so many trainees in the system. And then when the decision is made to stop training they arrive at a quieter unit with 300+ radar hours under their belts-validation should frankly, then be a formality. And if things go badly at MACC they are given watch changes to ensure validation-a luxury we don't have at the other units.
I reckon you need to get that bloody great chip off your shoulder and grow up by realising that the system is not perfect but as Arkady states the more valid staff we have the quicker we aren't doing the double nights every cycle and the better we can cope with the glut of staff who are on individual/part-time contracts.
You're right though on one point and that is that trainees should be welcomed to your unit directly from the college-with a proviso in their contract that they will be posted to LACC or TC within 5 years. This way if the training at your unit is so good there will be a 100% validation rate and with a few years experience under their belts a very low failure rate on posting to the busier units.
I would also say that your options are precisely the same as ours in that we have no option over our future-it's Swanwick/TC or nothing unless you have a cast iron personal case-funny we never get personal cases which involve a move to the South East.
I wish you all the best up there but nobody has yet come up with arguments against the financial case and the inability to extend the operation at MACC due to ops room constraints.