NATS interview process
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That's not wholly correct: sadly those in the initial training phase have been offered a voluntary exit package now, or can stay with the company until the end of October to consider any redeployment opportunities, if they wish - however, whichever they chose, their contract will end in November. This applies to just over 120 people, but over twice that number remain within the system, awaiting unit training.
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Commiserations to everyone affected - all very sad 
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...t-b447250.html
Quotes in this article suggest that the (~275!) trainees awaiting unit training will meet NATS projected requirements for the next 2 years. Given the lead time required to recruit and run a initial training course, that would suggest no new recruitment for at least 1 year, probably longer?
Any word if the people let go will have the option to return to training (without re-interviewing etc) once demand returns? That would surely be the fair thing to do, although it would of course further delay the chances of any 'new' recruitment.
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...t-b447250.html
Quotes in this article suggest that the (~275!) trainees awaiting unit training will meet NATS projected requirements for the next 2 years. Given the lead time required to recruit and run a initial training course, that would suggest no new recruitment for at least 1 year, probably longer?
Any word if the people let go will have the option to return to training (without re-interviewing etc) once demand returns? That would surely be the fair thing to do, although it would of course further delay the chances of any 'new' recruitment.
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Quotes in this article suggest that the (~275!) trainees awaiting unit training will meet NATS projected requirements for the next 2 years. Given the lead time required to recruit and run a initial training course, that would suggest no new recruitment for at least 1 year, probably longer?
Any word if the people let go will have the option to return to training (without re-interviewing etc) once demand returns? That would surely be the fair thing to do, although it would of course further delay the chances of any 'new' recruitment.
Any word if the people let go will have the option to return to training (without re-interviewing etc) once demand returns? That would surely be the fair thing to do, although it would of course further delay the chances of any 'new' recruitment.
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That's not wholly correct: sadly those in the initial training phase have been offered a voluntary exit package now, or can stay with the company until the end of October to consider any redeployment opportunities, if they wish - however, whichever they chose, their contract will end in November. This applies to just over 120 people, but over twice that number remain within the system, awaiting unit training.
Strategically, getting rid of TATCs but not SATCs just stops them running off to graduate with other ANSPs. Clever really.
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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 shit 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.
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.
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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 shit 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.
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.
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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
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
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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
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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
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
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....
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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?
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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
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
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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
*past performance is no guarantee of future results
CAP2100 Project Palamon
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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?
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?
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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?
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Don't worry if the news isn't good... we can take it!
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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.
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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.
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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?
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?
