Nats College Course - Basic Rundown

[atcowannabe]

Hi All,

I will be starting at the college soon (hopefully July) and just trying to get an idea of what exactly to expect in relation to the format of the course? I am not sure exactly what to expect. For instance, is it split up into different modules? If so, what are these modules? At what point would you start 'practicals' eg simulations etc? what are the major milestones, eg is there an exam at the end of every module?

Any idea/info would be great. Clearly I understand the course will be very different for Area/Aero - I am hoping to get on an Area course.

Thanks in advance!

[Reach123]

Trainees will be streamed into Area or Airports earlier now so you may know before you start.

If on Area you will undretake a 4 week "common core" programme which is all lessons (basic theory like met, nav etc) there is a test on Law at the end of this.

Then you move onto the Basic Radar course (11 weeks I think), this has Area specific theory and you get on the sims pretty quick (first couple of weeks). Near the begining is the multi-topic exam which is all the stuff you've learnt during "common core". A few weeks later is an Area specific written exam. Towards the end is an oral board, with practical summatives at the very end of the course. You have to successfuly complete all of that to move onto...

Area Foundation (12 weeks ish) which includes a written, oral board and summatives in that order. Then onto...

Area advanced (12 weeks ish) again written, oral board and summatives.

Good luck in July!

[atcowannabe]

Thanks Reach, very helpful!:ok:

[elainem]

I will be staring in April on the Area course. Out of interest, can you tell me how where holidays fit in to the schedule? Should I expect to get a couple of weeks off after each block?

Thanks

[Reach123]

Hi Elainem,

There is usally a week or two between courses. Please be aware that your leave dates are dictated to you and could change due to various reasons. I would advise not to book any holidays away but if you do then take out insurance that would cover this.

Good luck in April!

[Ivor_Novello]

Reach,

another quick question since you seem a fast and reliable source :)

Once (if and when) at a unit, but still as a trainee, do you become entitled to leave as other controllers, or still dictated by the training modules ?
Is the unit training a rostered shifts operation or is it still subject to college patterns ?

thanks

Ivor

[1985]

Unit will be rostered ie 6 on 4 off. But as a trainee leave is easy to get aslong as you don't go over your 28 days a year

[ILS 119.5]

I am quite worried by the type of people commenting on this thread. You are on a training course to be one of the best Air Traffic Controllers in the world. You will be looked upon by all the European States as being one of the best. Forget the holidays, knuckle down pass the exams and pass the validation, then worry about leave etc. Sacrifice everything for 2 years and you will have the 2nd most rewarding career in the world.

[kazzy01]

I think it's a perfectly valid question to ask about leave. You know when you sign up for a degree course that your holidays will be dictated by the school calendar, but how many people do you know in the mainstream who have attended air traffic college - not many, so give the guy a break.

[watch_the_birdie]

ILS 119.5: I can understand your point that it appears to be worrying.

However, although this isn't ENTIRELY the same, having come from a military background, I found that although people love the job very much, the leave and holiday prospects are often what keep people going (or at least give them something to look forward to that isn't work related). I have been brought up to know it isn't wrong to look forward to breaks, it's just wrong to let the thought of holidays stopping you doing your job properly! And also brought up to be flexible. Also, on the whole, my father (who was a military instructor) usually found that the holiday questions asked by students/trainees/whatever were not actually fully for their own benefit or excitement, but rather for the friends and families back home, who out of no fault of their own, are out of the loop and are eager to "make plans" with a son or daughter who is in a career where it is not that easy to do so.

I do hope I have made sense!

[Ivor_Novello]

I am quite worried by the type of people commenting on this thread.

Likewise :)

[JonG]

I am quite worried by the type of people commenting on this thread. You are on a training course to be one of the best Air Traffic Controllers in the world. You will be looked upon by all the European States as being one of the best. Forget the holidays, knuckle down pass the exams and pass the validation, then worry about leave etc. Sacrifice everything for 2 years and you will have the 2nd most rewarding career in the world.

Please enlighten me to the first.

[Dances with Boffins]

ILS, Lighten up on the poor wee buggers.
ATCO training is tough on the loved ones and it makes life just a little more bearable if you can soften the fact that you will be studying all hours that God sends for 9 months with no guarantee of anything to show for it at the end. My missus gave me endless grief before I went to Hurn and it was only the promise of a couple of weeks holiday in the middle that saved the day.
NATS HR are not particularly forthcoming about such mundane requests which although seemingly minor to thee are bloody important to the majority of people. Ditto working conditions during validation.

I believe the No 1 job may involve the playing of a piano in a house of ill-repute..:ok:

[anotherthing]

Think you migh have it in one DWB - because it certainly aint being a pilot (system manager) on a modern aircraft!

[Reach123]

Hello Ivor,

You will get your 28 days when at unit which you can request to be taken at times that suit you. You will have to deconflict your leave with training courses which require a lot of resource and will have been booked in advance of your arrival.

I'm sorry that I was not as fast as usual but I can asure you I am still reliable!

1985 is correct with the shift pattern, 6 on 4 off, this is at Area units, the Airports can be quite different.

[jopeec]

Does anybody knows the rate of students who successfully pass through the college?

[watch_the_birdie]

I keep remembering a rather ominous figure of 20%. Seen that somewhere on here, but then I remember seeing a hopeful figure of 80%?

To be honest, I don't worry about statistics. You go there thinking you are going to pass and not fail, then you'll pass, as you'll work hard. Simple.

[morgstar]

Thanks to all the NATS employees who are providing great info:ok:

Since this thread has deviated a bit i would like to ask a question which i am hoping one of you lovely people could answer.

Since i learned of the shift patterns i have been desperate to find out if 6 days holidays means you actually get 14 days off. ie.

4 days off - 6 days holiday - 4 days off

just like if you were working mon-fri in an office jub 5 days holiday would equal 9days off ie. sat/sun off - 5 days holiday - sat/sun off.

Iknow this question seems a little silly and it in no way alters my opinion of NATS working conditions or employee benefits but its something ive wondered about for a while?

Many thanks

[Defruiter]

Yes you do :)

[AJ7]

watch the birdie...

thats pretty much hit the nail on head. its not easy in any way, there are hard times when something like aviation law just doesnt sink in, but if you keep perservering with the books then it will all work out.

as for statistics 41 from 47 passed our basic course starting last september, and at this point 4 of us have been posted, but then most of the guys went area and got business held. Its definitely not 20% or 80%, rough guess id say between 60 and 70...

like you said, statistics mean nothing to an individual, if everyone on your course works hard then you can all pass :ok:

adrian

[simfly]

Agree with AJ. 60-70% sounds about right. There are a lot of people who might fail a course and get recoursed, or even a mini recourse where they go back to the start of that phase/section and do it again, running a few weeks behind the original course. eg on the last aerodrome course of 10 folks, 5 completed without fail, 2 a few weeks later after a mini recourse at some point, then 3 did not complete. I would guesstimate that 40-50% of students go through college without failing something at some point, when the bad pass rates get waved about it is more towards this. The main thing about all the courses is that there are many hurdles to jump over, there's the written tests, sim exams (aka summatives) then oral boards, but they are all passable! The approach course which finished in January had 7 out of 7 pass! Just go there, enjoy, but work at it. :ok:

[AJ7]

i think thats the first time you have ever agreed with me... :ugh:

[jopeec]

Thank you to all of you guys!!

I'm starting in July and I was reading other threads saying that the rate was aroun 15%-20%, so I get very worried considering how many things I'm sacrifying in order to join NATS. Furthermore, I'm not English so my competences on English Language are less than any other trainee.

I'm really encourage to work hard from DLP to the last exam so hop to see some of you at the college.

[smellysnelly2004]

SimFly,

I can get on board with the 60-70% pass rate overall, although some courses are certainly lower, but 40-50% first time pass rate is way off for Area Guys
Basic pass rates seem to have improved to around about 70-80 but Foundation is consistently around 50% (sometimes lower) and ADV around 70%+. I'd say 10-25% first time pass rate is more realistic for Area.
As has been mentioned before, the stats mean nothing to individuals starting at the college.
All you can do is work hard and hope you're good at it!!#
Good luck

[WhatMeanPullUp]

The only way to become an ATCO is hold down 12 pints of lager and a chicken vindaloo........instant validation!! sweet! :ok:

[Jetset Willy]

This is a very interesting thread. Hope its not too far off topic, but I'm interested to know what the main differences are between the Area course & the Aerodrome course... I know Area is a longer overall course - does that mean its tougher, and has a lower pass rate?

I'm just wondering what makes people have a preference for one or the other? Would aerodrome on the whole be a little less pressured / stressful than area, or vice versa? Would Aerodrome be more varied? Does Area pay better? :hmm:

I guess the direction you want to go is an important decision to be made from the outset, as I believe you cannot cross-train afterwards?

[FlightDeckDave]

Some good questions there JetSet, which I also would like the answers too! I'm due to start at the college in October and my preference was to go 'Aerodrome' but looks like i've been streamed into 'Area'.

There are other threads, if you do a quick search for Area vs Aerodrome on the differences, but I've read all those and would like some more info. From what I've read, area seems to be a longer course, and the exams are not multi-choice? as with aerodrome. (Any current TATCOs please feel free to correct me). I'm not sure if this then means there is a lower pass rate but I've been told that is subjective - as long as you work hard then you give yourself the best chance of making it.

Although I am keen to be streamed aerodrome, everyone seems to say whatever discipline you do, you'll enjoy it. Lets hope so :)

[Mr Red]

You might wish to read some of the nats pay rise thread.

The common belief is that our esteemed leader is preparing NSL (the aerodrome side of NATS) for selling off.

I also think you shouldn't be making a choice on whether the tests are multiguess, you should reallly go for whichever one you feel will fulfill you the most but I'm sure that once you've seen one 747 in the flesh then they all look the same, what do you say Gonzo??:ok:

I've only ever known area, except for my areodrome ojt whch you wouldn't get if you were area anyway now!

[AJ7]

In terms of time at the college (assuming no failures and no business holding) if you do area its roughly 10-11 months split over 3 courses - Basic, Foundation and Advanced.

If you do aerodrome its 4 months if you are posted to a London airport (LL, KK, SS, GW, LC) and around 7 months for any other due to the added approach course.

In terms of pay and location, Area is more predictable. Its gonna be either Prestwick or Swanwick (maybe Manchester but that means Prestwick in a couple of years) which are Band 4/5 and the higher bands of pay.

Aerodrome has the possibility of 15 different postings all over the country, varying from Band 1 to Band 5. As a rough guide the level of traffic dictates the band the unit is in (I don't want to get into a debate about complexity of traffic here... :}) So Heathrow is band 5 etc etc.

The actual courses themselves... I did aerodrome so I can only comment on that. Its a lot to learn, hard work and sometimes frustrating. But at the same time its a lot of fun and really enjoyable. Yes the exams are all multi-choice on aerodrome but you still have to know your stuff for oral boards and when you go out to a unit so don't count on that being the easier route. Granted ''verbatim'' on area does seem worse :eek:

Pass rates vary from course to course in both disciplines, but for aerodrome i would estimate around 60/70% get through. Again for area i'll let someone else comment but i think they're not as high as 60%...

Someone previously mentioned pressurised courses etc. Depends on what you mean by pressure - on aerodrome you get 'summatives' (assessed practicals' coming out of your ears - we had 25 on my course: in comparison area foundation have 6. You can take that both ways, continuous assessment... or one shot at the end kind of thinking.

Hope that answers a few questions, anything else just ask or pm

Cheers

Adrian

[kinglouis]

i did aerodrome and area at the college more than a few moons ago.
they are both hard, but have to admit that aerdrome was the easier of the 2, but by no means was a walk in the park.
the main pain in the behind for area is the verbatim answers you have to commit to memory... its not easy but totally do-able. and also the actual radar work is harder and we found a few who were good at aerodrome couldnt get their heads around thinking laterally and vertically the way you need to... on aerodrome its like playing a game of chess and you can hold things at stands, tell them to stop etc etc.... on radar the things keep coming so you have no choice but to keep up or go down in flames.
like i said neither are easy and validating makes the college look like playschool. both are rewarding and i would happily go and do some tower work if ever offered just for a nice change.

KL

[alphamanic]

To any recently finished 216 or 215ers, I was wondering whereabouts the mainstay of people on Aerodrome are currently being streamed after they have finished? :confused:

[Topjet]

6 Gone on to to APS.
3 to Heathrow, 1 to Stansted, 1 to City and 1 to Luton.:ok:

[alphamanic]

Thanks for the info Topjet, that is not a bad mix :ok:

[ericliu]

Hi AJ7:
As you said, area its roughly 10-11 months split over 3 courses - Basic, Foundation and Advanced, I wondered if the basic course cover basic theory(met, nav, law etc) or not, and could you please tell me the detailed duration and main subjects of these three courses? What are the differences between these three courses?
As you mentioned “If you do aerodrome its 4 months if you are posted to a London airport (LL, KK, SS, GW, LC) and around 7 months for any other due to the added approach course”, I ‘d like to know whether the aerodrome and approach courses is split or not, just like what you do in area course, and what is the duration of each part if split?
I am really interested in the ATC course in the UK, I would appreciate it if you could help me . Thank you very much.