NATS interview process

[djblu1980]

I believe the majority of TATCs at CTC are training for AC are they not? Unless the individual wanted to move out of the UK then they are going to struggle to find an ANSP that requires their student license. I think it's simply that they do not expect to have a space to train them with the levels of predicted traffic. This news will hit every controller as they know how it feels to go through the system and the realisation that there is another **** storm on the horizon. To have the rug pulled from underneath you at the early stage of your career is abhorrent.

I do hope it all works out for everybody concerned. I know it's little consolation however the RAF and Navy are desperately short of ATCOs.

I have an email address for a recruiter if anybody wishing to ask any questions requires any information.

[alfaman]

ATC Jobs

Originally Posted by djblu1980

I believe the majority of TATCs at CTC are training for AC are they not? Unless the individual wanted to move out of the UK then they are going to struggle to find an ANSP that requires their student license. I think it's simply that they do not expect to have a space to train them with the levels of predicted traffic. This news will hit every controller as they know how it feels to go through the system and the realisation that there is another **** storm on the horizon. To have the rug pulled from underneath you at the early stage of your career is abhorrent.

I do hope it all works out for everybody concerned. I know it's little consolation however the RAF and Navy are desperately short of ATCOs.

I have an email address for a recruiter if anybody wishing to ask any questions requires any information.

The student licence is issued on successful completion of the rating course, so none of those leaving will have one. It's a dreadful situation, but none of the options, realistic or otherwise, are any better, unfortunately; the traffic & the training availability simply isn't there.

[NiallC98]

Hi,

I received the phone call for passing stage 3 in March, however, no other information could be given as to a date for a medical/ training due to the deteriorating COVID-19 situation. Since then I have received no correspondence from them.

I think I can safely assume my application has been withdrawn, due to the announcement of 122 trainees currently in the system being terminated.

Has anyone in a similar situation to mine received any contact from NATS as to what will happen to our applications? Will they keep our information and call us back when things improve? Will we need to go through the application process again?

Thanks in advance

[Krissy9]

Hi my stage 3 was due in March, I received an email last month saying recruitment was terminated for possibly 2 years and they will keep my details and once things pick up I will go back the stage I was on which is stage 3 so it is safe to assume there won’t be any new starters for now

[Just_Waiting]

Originally Posted by NiallC98

Hi,

I received the phone call for passing stage 3 in March, however, no other information could be given as to a date for a medical/ training due to the deteriorating COVID-19 situation. Since then I have received no correspondence from them.

I think I can safely assume my application has been withdrawn, due to the announcement of 122 trainees currently in the system being terminated.

Has anyone in a similar situation to mine received any contact from NATS as to what will happen to our applications? Will they keep our information and call us back when things improve? Will we need to go through the application process again?

Thanks in advance

Hi Niall,

I'm in the same situation as you. I got a call a week into lockdown to say I'd passed stage 3 (exactly the same as you by the sounds of it). I then had an email from NATS in September saying that we won't have to go through the whole application process again but will be able to pick up where we left off when the time comes....

[Ft1989]

I wonder what people's thoughts are regarding training picking up again? The official line was no college trainees needed until 2022. At the moment NATS are planning to be prepared for a best-case scenario of 75% of 2019 traffic this summer. With the expected upcoming retirement among the ATCO workforce and the 3+ year training time, I can't help but feel that things are looking positive for training restarting in the not-too-distant future? Others have also mentioned that there isn't a linear correlation between traffic levels and staffing requirements - e.g. 80-90% of 2019 traffic might still require a workforce of a similar size to what was needed for 100% of 2019 traffic levels. Am I being too optimistic?

[ManUtd1999]

Firstly, the prospects for this summer seem highly uncertain and overall quite pessimistic. There may be some improvement vs summer 2020, but perhaps not that much if travel restrictions are almost certain to continue in some form. Certainly 75% of summer 2019 seems unlikely. I think it is safe to assume there won't be any need for new controllers this year.

When considering longer term, I think it is more positive. The "end game" for Covid does now seem clear. By late summer, most major economies will have vaccinated large portions of their populations. With possible booster jabs in Autumn (and ongoing as needed) to counter new variants, it seems likely that Covid will be under control by the end of 2021. By 2022, most travel restrictions should be lifted. There will still be a longer-term, structural reduction in air travel (eg, zoom replacing business meetings, recessions), but this should be limited compared with all of the leisure travelers who will still want to go on holiday. 75%+ of summer 2019 in summer 2022 seems realistic.

How this translates to controller recruitment - who knows? There is a big backlog of trainees to be processed before they think about any new recruitment. then there are the trainees who were let-go last year who I believe have some sort of first refusal on any new vacancies.

In a scenario where NATS start requiring new trainees out of the college in mid/late 2022, those trainees would have to start college at the start of 2022. In that case, we could see recruitment in late 2021? This is very optimistic. More likely, I would say, is recruitment beginning again perhaps in mid 2022.

Disclaimer: this is all pure speculation

[Dan Dare]

My prediction based on previous years*: pent-up demand has 2019 traffic demand by 2022, but with redundancies, retirements and resentment the controller workforce will a fraction of 2019 levels. The CAA will blame NATS for the UKs inability to handle the traffic demand and fine them enough that they need to get rid of further controllers while frantically recruiting cheaper trainees to replace them. About a year after massive recruitment they will realise there aren’t enough seats for all the trainees and they’ll have to put half in the holding pool and lay-off some more and years will pass with the system creaking at the edges, all the while the CAA mandating lower costs and higher service levels with impossible timescales (when recruitment to validation takes about 3 years and validation is not the same as the experienced OJTIs, managers and assessors who have left).

*past performance is no guarantee of future results
CAP2100 Project Palamon

[idloveit]

Originally Posted by ManUtd1999

Disclaimer: this is all pure speculation

It's positive enough for me


It really is a waiting game for trainees now (i am one of them) - I have recently begun a new career adventure after a heck of a year. Will be keeping a close eye on all things re NATS and training and remain optimistic that training can resume with 1-2 years.

I mean, this can't go on forever can it?

[ManUtd1999]

Any updates re recruitment from those "in the know"? Are NATS thinking about when they might start to need new trainees again, or is it still too far off to even think about it?

[idloveit]

Originally Posted by ManUtd1999

Any updates re recruitment from those "in the know"? Are NATS thinking about when they might start to need new trainees again, or is it still too far off to even think about it?

Would be keen to read any replies to the above post if anyone is able to help?

Don't worry if the news isn't good... we can take it!

[AustralianSam]

No real news just yet other than NATS officially let go of the existing college trainees at the end of June, so it's not looking good for any recruitment in the near future.

[ManUtd1999]

Originally Posted by AustralianSam

No real news just yet other than NATS officially let go of the existing college trainees at the end of June, so it's not looking good for any recruitment in the near future.

I thought the college trainees were already let go last year?

[Ft1989]

Originally Posted by ManUtd1999

I thought the college trainees were already let go last year?

Pretty sure it went like this: trainees were let go in September 2020 - then the union pressured NATS to keep them on through the furlough scheme. The argument was that this wouldn't cost NATS anything, so they may as well do it and see how things play out. Then as of June, the furlough scheme required employer contributions - so NATS formally terminated contracts, rather than pay the furlough contributions. I believe the college trainees all have the guaranteed right to return to training when it does start again - but that this would likely be no earlier than mid 2022 based on current estimates. This is based on bits I've heard through various grapevines. I would also love to know what possible scenarios NATS might have planned for in terms of restarting training - but I honestly think the situation is still too volatile for any meaningful answers. I'd say '2022 at the earliest' is probably the best answer for now.

[ManUtd1999]

Thanks for the info

So it sounds like a relatively optimistic scenario, the previous trainees may start to be recalled to training from mid-2022. In which case, 'new' trainees could start to be required to start from late 2022 to early 2023. Given a lead time in recruitment of 3-6 months (at least), re-starting the recruitment process may also be possible in mid/late 2022?

[WoopWoopPushDown]

They got rid of TATCs @ CTC months ago. They've just had a meeting on Teams to discuss with those TATCs the option to return, through what they're callign cohort 1, 2, and 3. Cohort 1 is destined to return early 2022 (We're talking Feb-Mar), Cohort 2 mid 2022 (Apr - Jun) and Cohort 3 late 2022 (Sep-Nov).

I can't imagine they'd start the recruitment process before mid 2022 - with their aim to fill cohorts for either the very end of 2022 or the start of 2023.


That's as far as we (the TATCs they got rid of) are aware.

[idloveit]

Originally Posted by WoopWoopPushDown

They got rid of TATCs @ CTC months ago. They've just had a meeting on Teams to discuss with those TATCs the option to return, through what they're callign cohort 1, 2, and 3. Cohort 1 is destined to return early 2022 (We're talking Feb-Mar), Cohort 2 mid 2022 (Apr - Jun) and Cohort 3 late 2022 (Sep-Nov).

I can't imagine they'd start the recruitment process before mid 2022 - with their aim to fill cohorts for either the very end of 2022 or the start of 2023.


That's as far as we (the TATCs they got rid of) are aware.

interesting.. thank you for this info.

when you talk about cohorts, was this for the TATC’s who actually began their training before COVID interrupted them, or perhaps the individuals (myself included) of whom were weeks away from starting CTC training but never had the chance to begin.

I understand there will be priority list if you like with those who began training and still want to resume, but it will be interesting to know just how many trainees are in this boat and whether those waiting just behind them ‘in the queue’ would be invited to start next year too.

Either way, it sounds like NATS are now finally gearing up for some sort of movement and activity which can only be seen as encouraging news.

[WoopWoopPushDown]

Originally Posted by idloveit

interesting.. thank you for this info.

when you talk about cohorts, was this for the TATC’s who actually began their training before COVID interrupted them, or perhaps the individuals (myself included) of whom were weeks away from starting CTC training but never had the chance to begin.

I understand there will be priority list if you like with those who began training and still want to resume, but it will be interesting to know just how many trainees are in this boat and whether those waiting just behind them ‘in the queue’ would be invited to start next year too.

Either way, it sounds like NATS are now finally gearing up for some sort of movement and activity which can only be seen as encouraging news.

Cohorts were for those already at NATS - Cohort 1 are the advanced students, Cohort 2 the foundation and 3 is mine - basic. They were saying at one point you'd not have to start from scratch, just the last milestone - so hopefully 1 and 2 move through quickly and they can look at getting more trainees going.

I can't imagine all 122 are going to return - some have gone to EuroControl, some have got completely new careers. I wonder if cohort 3 will end up getting filled by a mixture of my old course and yourselves - where people don't return. Either way, it's going in the right direction.

[idloveit]

Originally Posted by WoopWoopPushDown

Cohorts were for those already at NATS - Cohort 1 are the advanced students, Cohort 2 the foundation and 3 is mine - basic. They were saying at one point you'd not have to start from scratch, just the last milestone - so hopefully 1 and 2 move through quickly and they can look at getting more trainees going.

I can't imagine all 122 are going to return - some have gone to EuroControl, some have got completely new careers. I wonder if cohort 3 will end up getting filled by a mixture of my old course and yourselves - where people don't return. Either way, it's going in the right direction.

Thanks for the reply. 100% agree, the right direction is starting to take an early shape. Encouraging news.

[idloveit]

https://nats.aero/blog/2021/11/welco...ots-of-autumn/

Positive blog posted from NATS on their website. OTJ training resuming and ab-initio training resuming as early as Feb 22.