I am interested in ATC abroad.

[Barbados 2004]

Hi peeps, I am currently a CAD designer & mechanical engineer working in the commercial sector. I am 28 & Male. I have been in engineering for some 5 years now. As much as I enjoy it, it's not proving a very stable form of income. I also am married to a woman from Barbados, & she wants to move back there one day. In Barbados, it's incredibly difficult to get & keep a job. Aviation is a tempting option, & from my experience (been there 9 times in 9 years now) Grantley Adams International is a busy, yet not-too busy airport. I need an income of $4000 BDS or $5000 BDS a month. I hope to train in the UK this year, become qualified, & move there in a couple of years permenantly. Engineering in Barbados is small & low paid.
Are there any Barbadians listening? :ok: Signing-off: N.M.

[smellysnelly2004]

I presume you plan on self funding the training?
No company in their right minds would pay around £500,000 to train you just for you to move away immediately.
Also, whether you train with NATS or not, it is not easy to get a place on a training program.

[Barbados 2004]

OK, I got a question... Is Grantley Adams International in Barbados F.A.A or C.A.A.? Are there any Bajans reading this?
Stupid question? Well, I am not sure, because although the Barbados $ is tied to the US $, Barbados is an old British Colony, & still a member of the British Commowealth. So...I ain't-too-sure... Any ideas? :bored: Can a qualified UK A.T.C. go to work there- just like that? If so- I might- one day. However, one reader has already written back trashing my idea. Oh-dear.:) See yuh, N.M

[Barbados 2004]

Well...I am hoping to fund this myself, & only doing this because I saw this website, & it gave me the idea. Follow this address (if you want) & you might understand where I am coming from. But sir, this is JUST AN IDEA. I COULD be wasting my time. I am at step 1 of probably 10,000 steps. All I want is a stable, well paid job when I get there.
Bye, N.M. :) [email protected] (http://by133w.bay133.mail.live.com/mail/ApplicationMain_12.1.0069.1213.aspx?culture=en-GB&hash=3754423130#)

[Barbados 2004]

:uhoh: Well, I gave up! I have nothing more to add. I think I chose the hardest, most expensive ground based job there is. I mean, even basic training is like £5000. Naa... Instead, I am going to do something else ground based, but how would you say...cheaper! No jokes about cleaning the toilets please! Instead, I shall investigate something in flight engineering, fire & rescue, admin or flight strips. Shame, but I am not beat. :(
N.M.

[ChickenLips]

Hi Barbados2004,

Out of curiosity, I did a quick google search for Barbados ATC. You may want to look at: http://bcad.gov.bb/page/index.html

They have their own school of ATC to which you could apply, or at least make further enquiry.

Cheers,
CL

[ChickenLips]

Hi Barbados 2004,

Out of simple curiosity, I did a quick google on Barbados ATC. You can read about it at: http://bcad.gov.bb/page/index.html

They have their own ATC School which you may wish to contact.

Cheers,
CL

[Captain Beef]

These young folk are so determined aren't they?

[Barbados 2004]

A message to Vercingetorix: CHEERS! I have found that there are a lot of jobs I didn't even know about! "Determined" I am, rich I am not!
;) Much appreciated! I feel better now. Yesterday was disappointing...
N.M.

[Barbados 2004]

Hey there! Thanks! You did me a great-big favour here! I had actually given up entirely! But when you mailed a response with a link (which I quickly followed), I found that I actually have the entry requirements already! Hey, thanks again! We'll see, I have quite a while yet. :D
Bye! N.M.

[Aviator_IT]

Hey there Barbados2004,

I noticed your email ends up with ASTAC. What's your involvement with them, anyway? I did the course with them (self funded) and I am pretty pleased of their treatment over there.

Cheers

[Barbados 2004]

Hey chap (I assume you're male!), I actually had a look recently, I had a very productive conversation with Andy Cameron, their General Manager. Yes, I found-out quite a lot there- particularly the £4.500 fee! Still...if you want the return you must make the investment... Is this what you did? Still, they seem very good, though naturally, I am wary of them because I don't know a lot about them. So they're good, are they? O.K...:)
N. M.

[Aviator_IT]

Hey there chap ;)

I went to ASTAC at Shoreham airport (there are two schools one international other domestic ATC) I was self funded, took the Ab initio + Tower, now I only have OJT (on job training) left so I can get my licence.

If you have british passport (I don't) it might be much easier to get OJT in the UK and a job as well.

ASTAC is a great organization with some really nice people there (Shoreham college) if you are interested I can give you the number of the director in Shoreham so you would be up to date. Talk with them, tell them what you want so they will figure it out for you.

Accomodation in Shoreham is also quite reasonable, 100 quid /week in a host family with all 3 meals included.

I always wanted to follow my dream in becoming an ATC, ASTAC helped me out. Now what's left for me is the licence (OJT) and then search a job. I have my fingers crossed! :)

Good luck and if you have any question don't hesitate to ask!

[Barbados 2004]

Hey man, what's your name???? Yes, I do have a British passport. I am also married to a Barbadian, so I have a work permit for Barbados. The airport seems like a good, secure, well paid job. she's bugging me about moving back one day. She says England's nice, & she loves the exchange of the £! £4.500 is a lot though, how much is it to train at Dispatch? WHat are you, American?

[Aviator_IT]

Now I don't know what we are talking about, ATC or dispatch, I had a friend at ASTAC who was from Bermuda, and he was telling me that they have more than enough ATC guys at Bermuda and Barbados, but I am not that sure.

Anyhow, I don't know anything about dispatch, but there might be some schools providing training. To get the basic ATC training, it would be something like 11k quid just to start. I know, I had to sell a lot of things for that training! :rolleyes:

As for me, I used to be American, not anymore :). JK, I will contact you so we can continue our chit chat.

[Barbados 2004]

£11K??? **** MAN!!! Look, after all that investment, I won't be leaving anything to chance, & the truth is that ATC sounds just too expensive, with not enough possibility of a return- particularly in Barbados. I looked at the site for the Barbados ATC, as provided by our friend above, & I saw that they pass 200 people a year there. OK. But the whole department might only employ 50 people, which means that I would have-to wait for someone to be fired/retire/resign/die to stand any chance of getting in. It sounds like standing 20 paces away from a tea-cup & try to throw a tennis ball into it! Although there is a possibility, what chance in hell do you have! The last thing I want is to have it- & can't get a job!

Additionally, it'll mean spending enough doe to buy a nice car!! If I was applying to London Gatwick/Heathrow or JFK, yeah, 'cos they are far bigger than Barbados, but a mind tells me that Barbados is just too small to make this kind of sacrifice worthwhile. The airport is still, & always will be a viable option for employment, but ATC is just too risky. I am deciding more & more that another role, where the investment is less (even though the returns are less) is the better option. At the end of the day, all I want is to own a house & a car- in Barbados. To do this, all I need is a good job, one that's secure, & where I can progress from. ATC sounds like becoming a doctor. You have-to invest a whole-bunch to get a start- then be placed (I am, of-course still talking strictly about Barbados, your case will be different).

Barbados is a real tough place to work in. I am going to investigate more about GAIA. It is afterall the largest airport in the Caribbean. There's gotta' be something there, but something more realistic. I am Nick, you are...?

[WhatUMean]

But if you do go, will there be room in your suit case for the rest of us to come and join you in the sun!