View Full Version : NATS ATCO Training
The-Kenyan
29th Jun 2016, 12:25
Hi,
So I have my Stage 3 assessments for NATS next week and have a couple of burning questions to ask a current ACTO. Since I don't know any current controllers its been very difficult to get answers to my simple questions and before you ask I have already scoured the NATS interview process thread. Seeing as that thread seams to be only useful to people applying I doubt anyone who looks at that thread is actually a qualified ATCO :hmm:
For what I hope are obvious reasons I don't want to post my two questions here and by no means am I asking for a complete guide to acing the interview, just a bit of knowledge about the role of a career that I really want. My questions don't just relate to NATS and pretty much any ATCO could answer them. So if any one is interested in helping me out please let me know.
Cheers :)
Crazy Voyager
29th Jun 2016, 13:42
There are plenty of qualified and also a few retired controlles reading the interview thread.
The-Kenyan
29th Jun 2016, 15:09
Thank you crazy, do you per chance happen to be one of them?
Gonzo
29th Jun 2016, 17:35
Why not post your questions, and see if they get answered?
I imagine the OP doesn't want to ask the questions for fear that he may also give any other prospective candidates an advantage if they also happen to stumble upon this Forum. Fair play to him.............
Gonzo
29th Jun 2016, 19:47
Then (s)he fundamentally misunderstands the selection procedure.
If you're good enough, you're in.
Anyway, the OP says (s)he wants 'a bit of knowledge about the role'.
The-Kenyan
29th Jun 2016, 22:19
I'm fully aware of the selection procedure thank you Gonzo, this is my second attempt and this is the hurdle that I failed at last time, I'm just trying to cover all angles and get answers to questions I haven't been able to answer through various means of research. One being a question I got asked last time and still don't really know the answer to, and by no means was it a question that determined whether or not I got the job. I know why I failed. I wasn't prepared enough. Hopefully this time I will be. And yes any more knowledge about the role would be great.
Thank you to those who have DM'ed me and tried to answer what questions I had. Much appreciated :)
Gonzo
30th Jun 2016, 04:15
Well, that's a bit of a shame then as others may have benefitted from both your questions and the answers they begat, and everyone may have benefitted from any further discussion on them.
LEGAL TENDER
8th Jul 2016, 08:43
If you're good enough, you're in.
Of course. Transparent and unbiased like everything else that happens in Nats!
HEATHROW DIRECTOR
8th Jul 2016, 09:22
So why are they so short of staff?
V.R eighteen months ago:ok:
terrain safe
8th Jul 2016, 14:11
No major recruitment for many years.
Older ATCOs.
Big bulge of retirements in about 10 years.
Not Long Now
8th Jul 2016, 16:53
Imbecilic management...
ZOOKER
8th Jul 2016, 20:37
There was an astonishing level of recruitment from 1978 onwards, which continued into the late 1990s. This has now worked through the workforce, and is now an imminent retirement bulge. Those joining in the late 1970s are now reaching their normal retirement dates.....Sadly, for various reasons, many are deciding to take an 'EG', thus compounding the problem.
Possibly, this relates to events from the 1950s onwards, when ATC recruitment was passed from The MCA, to The Civil Service, The Board Of Trade, The DTI, and then NATS/CAA. The sudden realisation that all those who became ATCOs after military service during or after WW2 were approaching retirement, caught the latter organisations out.