Trainee ATC assistant positions

[zoink]

Hi All

Would anybody know of any internal positions going for ATC assistant trainee positions in the South East region?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Apologies if this is off topic]
z..

[doormouse]

Friend of mine tried recently for Assistant positions at W Drayton, Swanwick and LHR all to no avail, but why not apply to all units - the worst they can say is 'no'.

[enzo]

you could always try airports - there might be an assistant position at an airfield in the SE where the ATC is provided by a certain PPP. At the moment its internal only, but if there is no interest it may be put out to non company.

Enzo

[sbe]

If you are looking for a job as an assistant then apply. In response to the previous post who got turned down, I cannot understand how, no disrespect but he must have been totally unsuitable as we are desperate for assistants.

There have been two internal VN's in the last 6 months and every watch is understaffed. I think there has also been external recruitment very very recently, (Im not 100% on this).

I do know there has just been a big recruit into the simulator which pays handsomely and is a foot into the company. once inside then you can move around as and when suitable vacancies arise.

For the right people there will always be opportunities, the company is not the quickest to organise things but if you persevere and its what you want to do then keep at it.

The assistants job is one that is being fazed out though, especially at airports so think carefully about what you want to do long term as the future for assistants is not as certain as it once was.

Hope this helps

[LXGB]

Hi zoink,
There's an assistants job going at Wattisham right now. As far as I know it hasn't been filled yet.

LXGB

[Hippy]

sbe

Very interesting and informative post. Only leaves the following question: If ATSAs are to be phased out at airports, who is going to replace them, what jobs do they do at the moment?
(Yeah, 2 questions, I know - That's us Mil, always wanting more!)

[Chilli Monster]

Hippy

Not so much who, but what is going to replace them. Automation is becoming cheaper and more accesible to even the smallest airfields. The traditional jobs of flight plan reading, strip writing and filling will disappear. Most ATSA's at civil airfields also double as Met observers - with increasing introduction of automated observing facilities that will also disappear.

In radar a good assistant is worth their weight in gold when it's busy, but you don't employ someone just to work in one position on an occasional basis. As you automate more the bean counters will start to ask the question why you're employing someone to do less and less, when at times the controller can (and does) do the job by himself.

Sorry to sound so gloomy - When I made the jump from blue suit to civil a few years back I'd learnt enough of 'outside' to know the only jump to make was directly from Mil Asst to civil ATCO - fraught with risk but it worked out. Looking back I don't think I would have been so lucky if I'd started by looking for an ATSA post first.