Bournemouth, October 2003

[cb9002]

I just got a confirmed start date at CATC Bournemouth for October 2003! Anyone else? We could meet for a beer sometime.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Have they given you a date to have your brain removed yet??

Seriously - best of luck and work hard..

[Barnaby the Bear]

:D <HEATHROW DIRECTOR>

Well done on getting in.

Now practice learning word for word. (Do they still do that?)

[160to4DME]

Was in my local Tesco, hovering between the solvents shelf and the alcohol aisle, when I inadvertently vectored my trolly into a shelf stacker, sending him flying with a box of Bird's Custard.

Multitude of apologies ensued, during which I said his job needed to carry a health warning. He replied " Nah, I'm off to do something much more stressful next October - I'm going to be an Air Traffic Controller !!"

Poor sod !!

Whilst talking about the October 2003 course, how many of the accepted candidates do NATS P&R honestly expect are going to hang around for 13 months to embark on their career of choice ?

160

[Barnaby the Bear]

Maybe its just their way of seeing if the new candidates are really committed or not.

:p

Or they made too many staff redundant at the college and don't have enough to train them? :D

[Bern Oulli]

Barnaby, your second line may be nearer the mark than you think!

Third line normally reads "Tug 3 downwind". If really screwed up then "Tug down three wind".

Edited to make second line refer to third line and .....OK nurse I've taken my pills.

[BobAgg]

Congratulations!

I start April 2003, so see you there for a beer! Oh, an I'll keep my course notes till then!

Cheers!

[cb9002]

160to4DME, most of us either have other jobs (like me) or are still at school/college/university. It seems a bit strange when I think it'll be 2006 before I'm actually validated and doing the job proper.

Of course, that discounts the six-month holdover the trainees I met were on (no places to train them), and all them dodgy override boxes at Swanick (boy did the ATCO look embarrased when I mentioned that at the interview...)

[catcslave]

cb9002 - 2006? don't hold your breath!!!:rolleyes:

[RH1983]

I'm going for the "Selection Tests" in Glasgow on the 18th october. Can anyone provide any tips or resources that could maybe help me?

Also, is there anyone else attending?

[catcslave]

rh1983... check your private messages, i just sent you one. it was too long too write on here

[C U JIMMY]

2006???????????????????????????

Was that really meant to be a joke???

I started in Oct 1999 and I haven't even started my live training at Swnanwick!!!
The state things are at the mo, you'll be lucky if it's 2008.
Don't mean to put you off, just dispelling any false hopes you have, because we sure as hell have had all our hopes, false or not, dashed at every turn.

Still, best of luck through the college, but really, don't hold your breath

[RH1983]

I've been led to believe that there is a shortage of Trainee ATC's. Can someone clarify what the current situation actually is. After the 18 month training what is the most likely outcome, ie will you posted to an operational unit immediately?

[Dances with Boffins]

Shortage of Trainees.

There is currently a shortage of ATCOs worldwide, and it is getting worse. At the same time NATS recruitment are having trouble finding enough suitable candidates for ATC training in the UK. This is partly due to the low unemployment currently in the UK, but bad press recently hasn't helped. There are several changes coming into force regarding ratings for ATCOs within the EU shortly, which will affect training quite dramatically, and so a lot of changes will have to be made to the courses at the College and elsewhere to comply. This will also reduce training output while the changes are put in place. The hope at the end of all this is that the time between starting at Bournemouth, and validating your rating at your final unit [most likely Swanwick] will be reduced, with no gaps in training. The downside is that there will likely be a period where the delay between applying and starting training will increase, while the system changes over. On the plus side, from the moment you start at the college, if you ain't there, you'll be at an operational unit. The hope is that in future, you will spend any unit familiarisation during your college course at the unit you are ultimately bound for. This is not currently the case.

Whatever the shortage though, there is a standard that all trainees have to reach. If you are good enough, you're in. If you aren't, we'd rather be short-handed than have someone of lesser ability sitting on a sector. There won't be any lowering of the pass-mark just to make up the numbers, so don't worry about any shortage stories. It won't affect your chances of passing or failing, and in the short term, it won't speed your progress through the system.

See you on the south coast in a year or three. :D :D :D

[Barnaby the Bear]

:p