NATS Experienced Controller Recruitment

[lord of the zones]

Anyone got an Interview or any information on locations??

[Barnaby the Bear]

Farnborough for the new London LARS is one location advertised on the web.

[Talkdownman]

Beware. "NATS would not normally grant Secondary Employment in the case of part time working". By adopting this misguided policy they are depriving themselves of most significant experience. Their loss.

[side-saddled]

Best of luck, I've still got a live application on their website from 17th January 2006!!!!!!!!

[throw a dyce]

I would guess Aberdeen might be on offer as well.Always has been,always will be.Always short of staff.:hmm:

[Dizzee Rascal]

As Barnaby the Bear said, NATS are looking for ATCOs for Farnborough, the closing date for applications is today.

So given the fact there are no more adverts for experienced ATCOs on the NATS website and they have now got enough ATCOs to run Farnborough then does this mean NATS and all of it's units are fully staffed:confused::eek::sad:

[chevvron]

Not all applicants have been interviewed yet; GM Farnborough is on hols., so keep the applications coming.
As TDM says, restrictions such as he states deter some people, but there are also age limits which applicants may not be aware of.

[Talkdownman]

She never mentioned any ageism to me. Payism, yes.

[Dizzee Rascal]

As TDM says, restrictions such as he states deter some people, but there are also age limits which applicants may not be aware of.
hmmm. Well I know what restrictions my current employer impose and I fully agree with them but am intrigued as to what restrictions NATS have that may deter people?
Apart from the payism!

[chevvron]

Ask TDM about restrictions.

[lord of the zones]

Interesting how for Farnborough " Not all applicants have been interviewed yet" when the closing date was only a couple of days ago (Hence the post??) Are they under some pressure to get the "London LARS" up and running??

I note from flight the ad said "Farnborough and various other locations"

I take it the various other locations havn't been asked exactly how many they are short!! (Just like everyone I gather)

They must have a fair few applicants to be appearing so choosy (Age, Pay, part time etc etc)

Good luck to anyone applying

LOTZ

[Roffa]

Interesting how for Farnborough " Not all applicants have been interviewed yet" when the closing date was only a couple of days ago (Hence the post??) Are they under some pressure to get the "London LARS" up and running??

Ohhhh, yes....

[chevvron]

Closing date is for applications, not interviews!
The selectors are not being 'choosy'; some of the applicants just don't have the required ratings.

[lord of the zones]

Closing date is for applications, not interviews!


Obviously!!!!

Was just making the point that it is unusual to start interviewing people before the closing date for applications. Maybe they are granting an interview to everyone with the relevant qualifications????:confused::confused:

Just curious:):)

LOTZ

[Gonzo]

Maybe they are granting an interview to everyone with the relevant qualifications????:confused::confused:

Why, what happens in other jobs? How else would you determine someone's suitability, given that they fulfill the required qualifications/experience?

[lord of the zones]

In other Jobs it's fairly standard practice to set the closing date then sift through the applicants to decide who will be the most suitable candidates taking into account qualifications, experience, and any pertinent information presented on a CV or application form (Thats why we have CV's or application forms!!!) This saves you interviewing every man and his dog it is more cost effective in terms of having an interview panel who only need to sit for what are on paper the best candidates!!

I didn't set the thread up to develop into the usual petty Pprune slanging match. Merely out of interest as an outsider (not an applicant) to see what sort of interest NATS generate when they publicly recruit experienced controllers. This will probably, depending on numbers have an effect on non state units (hopefully positive in terms of a closer parity of pay and conditions)

Don't go taking offence at a perfectly reasonable question many do on this site!!!

LOTZ

[Gonzo]

For ATCO jobs?

I wasn't taking offence, far from it! Just curious.

[niknak]

Talkdownman:

Secondary working in the case of part time employment?

If you (or anyone else) is also employed as an ATCO elsewhere, it's extremely unlikely you'd be able to meet unit currency requirements, comply with SCRATCOH or, realistically, remain at a competent level of currency at either unit, especially if the NATS post was as demanding as, perhaps, Farnborough LARS.

As far as I understand it, with airfield operations, SRG will only grant dispensation for a second validation at a different unit, for the purposes of leave relief and then only the most onerous of circumstances.

[Talkdownman]

Mr. niknak.
I feel that you may have made an assumption here.
Who said anything about being employed as an ATCO elsewhere?
What if one was employed in a different discipline eg. gardener, plumber, newsagent or flying instructor? Why should nats have the temerity to dictate how one should manage one's life? It is not SRG ATSD who restrict validations at different units. History has proven that. It is not unheard of that Heathrow ATCOs themselves have held validations elsewhere and managed to comply with the requirements which you quote.
No, it seems that nats as a company cannot accept being the underdog and that, perish the thought, nats itself would be in a position as the secondary employer. There are experienced ATCOs out there who would be prepared to provide their services to help get this London LARS off the ground but not at the expense of a lifestyle change just to suit nats' intransigient attitude.

[chevvron]

NikNak: Knowing TDM I would have no qualms about him being able to maintain competency at more than one unit. As he says, other NATS ATCOs have done it in the past (eg. small airfield in south Bucks) and SRG often allow it for 'special events' with a reduced MER.
The main problem that could conceivably arise is that due to an incident at your 'secondary' unit, your licence is pulled so you cannot work operationally for NATS at your 'main' unit.

[vintage ATCO]

My job's going . . . . :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[Talkdownman]

Nah, Chevvers. Wot you mean is.... 'The main problem that could conceivably arise is that due to an incident at your nats 'secondary' unit, your licence is pulled so you cannot work operationally for The Employer Who Values You More at your 'main' unit.......'

[Roadrunner Once]

So, over a year on, is there any sign of another round of external recruitment on the horizon? Or is it back to the old method of individual units recruiting on an ad-hoc basis?

Any nuggets of info welcome :ok:

[Loxley]

As far as I'm aware, NATS aren't recruiting externally for the time being. Apparently there's a ban on units recruiting experienced ATCOs at the moment that's been in place for several months now. Not sure if that's the case anymore though...

[WireFired]

Would it be naive of me to ask why this is currently the case?

Surely, from an operational and a business perspective recruiting experienced ATCOs makes good sense. Why would recruiting someone with a proven track-record in his or her profession be "banned" from working for NATS.

[Loxley]

Surely, from an operational and a business perspective recruiting experienced ATCOs makes good sense.

Therein lies the problem, NATS and good sense have never made particularly good bed fellows :)


Why would recruiting someone with a proven track-record in his or her profession be "banned" from working for NATS.

They aren't 'banned' per se, the ban is on units themselves recruiting externally. I presume it's so that the whole thing could be centralised through NATS HR. Which is fine until we remember the cack handed way NATS HR dealt with external recruitment the last time round. Piss up and brewery is the first thought that springs to mind. It was perfectly obvious, from talking to friends who tried to apply, that the people who were responsible for recruitment that time round didn't have the faintest idea what they were doing. Maybe some knuckles have been rapped and lessons have been learned so that when NATS start recruiting for experienced ATCOs again (which they surely must do at some point in the not too distant future....) they won't embarrass themselves again and come across quite so amateurishly*.

*is amateurishly a word? :}

[Gonzo]

the ban is on units themselves recruiting externally

.....and the evidence for this?

[Loxley]

.....and the evidence for this?

The NATS HR Director for airports (whose name escapes me just now) whom I spoke to about this 3 months ago, as well as our unit management. Maybe you've heard something different?

[Gonzo]

I've not heard anything in this regard.

We've certainly recruited from outside of NATS, and continue to do so.

[Loxley]

I've not heard anything in this regard.

We've certainly recruited from outside of NATS, and continue to do so. Today 21:47

As has my unit, but like I say this was a conversation I had 3 months ago. Maybe things have changed again since. Up until that point 3 months ago we had also taken on people from outside NATS, like a number of other NATS units had done. There was then *apparently* a recruitment ban or freeze or whatever you would like to call it, that was most likely going to continue until the first part of this year. Maybe Heathrow are given special dispensation, I don't know, but that has certainly been the case until very recently at the very least.

[ProcATCO]

Speaking for myself, I have looked into this and have found that if, like me, you are an experienced Tower and Approach ATCO but without a radar rating, you have no chance. Even more so, again like me, if you are 48 years old, and have recently had a year off with a medical problem which subsequently turned out not to be a problem!!!

There must a number of ATCO's like me out there who would be quite happy to work in a NATS Tower for the rest of their career, thus leaving the radar tasks for others. Not through any lack of talent or ability, but because of the "ageism" that seems to be prevalent in the corridors of power.

NATS management, please take note!!

:ugh: :{

[chevvron]

ProcATCO: don't know where you live, but why not try writing to the GM at (say) London City explaining your experience; he may be able to do something. Certainly without an APS rating, several NATS airpots would be unlikely to accept you, but several others are ADI only and you appear to have that rating.