NATS interview process
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
Positive blog posted from NATS on their website. OTJ training resuming and ab-initio training resuming as early as Feb 22.
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Here we are in early '22 - I hear that some courses are starting up in March/April for those who were already at the college when covid hit. Does anyone know what the general plan for the rest of the year looks like?
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Just wondering if anyone has managed to successfully reach through to NATS at all. My last contact with them was September 2020 saying that TATC recruitment was paused. I have sent emails in June, September and October 2021, each time receiving an automated response but no actual response. I have also tried leaving answer messages to no avail. My only successful interaction has been through Instagram messaging saying they will chase up with recruitment and careers but still nothing over a 6 month period with four messages, now my messages are being ignored. I understand the terrible situation the industry is in but I would expect to at least hear something back over this period of time. Any info is appreciated.
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Originally Posted by Flight25
Just wondering if anyone has managed to successfully reach through to NATS at all. My last contact with them was September 2020 saying that TATC recruitment was paused. I have sent emails in June, September and October 2021, each time receiving an automated response but no actual response. I have also tried leaving answer messages to no avail. My only successful interaction has been through Instagram messaging saying they will chase up with recruitment and careers but still nothing over a 6 month period with four messages, now my messages are being ignored. I understand the terrible situation the industry is in but I would expect to at least hear something back over this period of time. Any info is appreciated.
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HR issues aside, are there any updates re potential ATCO recruitment? Airlines are back at 80%+ of capacity this summer, so surely there will be a need for NATS to start thinking about training again soon......
Here we are in early '22 - I hear that some courses are starting up in March/April for those who were already at the college when covid hit. Does anyone know what the general plan for the rest of the year looks like?
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Originally Posted by ManUtd1999
HR issues aside, are there any updates re potential ATCO recruitment? Airlines are back at 80%+ of capacity this summer, so surely there will be a need for NATS to start thinking about training again soon......
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Update
Has anyone heard anything about the restarting of trainee ATCO’s? Be it resumption of training at the college’s or recruitment of new trainee ATCO’s.
Thanks in advance
Niall
Thanks in advance
Niall
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Originally Posted by NiallC98
Has anyone heard anything about the restarting of trainee ATCO’s? Be it resumption of training at the college’s or recruitment of new trainee ATCO’s.
Thanks in advance
Niall
Thanks in advance
Niall
I'm one of the trainees that was due to begin training in April 2020, and subsequently had the offer withdrawn. We received an email back around March asking if we'd still be interested, as they're seeing sustained recovery. I suspect it'd be early 2023 at this stage. Some of the trainees who were already at the college pre-pandemic are back already.
I'd be keen to know more if anyone does know anything!
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I'm considering applying to become a trainee ATC, and have the option of doing it in Australia or the UK. I'd prefer the UK, but can anyone explain the £18,000 training salary? As an adult, I don't understand how I'd be able to live on that, and accomodation doesn't seem to be provided.
In Australia initial trainees seem to start on around £29,000 and then go up to £43,000 for field training.
In Australia initial trainees seem to start on around £29,000 and then go up to £43,000 for field training.
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Originally Posted by rust_bucket
What is there to explain. That’s the salary offered while you’re training. If you’re after the money, and are able to live and work in Australia, then go there. Bear in mind there is a long list of people waiting to return to NATS who are happy and have been able to make their finances work in the short term for a suitable salary when qualified.
If you think being paid £18k with a guaranteed job offer at the end of training is bad, take a look at becoming a pilot.
If you think being paid £18k with a guaranteed job offer at the end of training is bad, take a look at becoming a pilot.
Sounds to me though this guy perhaps should stick to working in Australia!
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I can’t believe I’m reading the posts above justifying such appalling trining pay.
If NATS only wants trainees with the support of bank-of-mum-and-dad then go ahead and take the Mickey - why not charge people for the privilege of training for a chance to become an ATCO? If we want the best, most motivated and qualified trainees in a world where we compete to attract them away from well paying careers we surely have to try harder. It is shameful that NATS actively filters out those trainees who can not afford to survive on the crumbs being offered and leaves us all poorer. I have seen good trainees resigning when they could no longer survive on the money available and I’m willing to bet some failed training outcomes have been as a direct result of trainees being unable to adequately feed and house themselves.
Talk conditions down to the bottom if you like, but like with pilots you will not get fairness or high-calibre this way.
Stockholm syndrome?
If NATS only wants trainees with the support of bank-of-mum-and-dad then go ahead and take the Mickey - why not charge people for the privilege of training for a chance to become an ATCO? If we want the best, most motivated and qualified trainees in a world where we compete to attract them away from well paying careers we surely have to try harder. It is shameful that NATS actively filters out those trainees who can not afford to survive on the crumbs being offered and leaves us all poorer. I have seen good trainees resigning when they could no longer survive on the money available and I’m willing to bet some failed training outcomes have been as a direct result of trainees being unable to adequately feed and house themselves.
Talk conditions down to the bottom if you like, but like with pilots you will not get fairness or high-calibre this way.
Stockholm syndrome?
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Originally Posted by notebook1
I'm considering applying to become a trainee ATC, and have the option of doing it in Australia or the UK. I'd prefer the UK, but can anyone explain the £18,000 training salary? As an adult, I don't understand how I'd be able to live on that, and accomodation doesn't seem to be provided.
In Australia initial trainees seem to start on around £29,000 and then go up to £43,000 for field training.
In Australia initial trainees seem to start on around £29,000 and then go up to £43,000 for field training.
It went up a couple of years ago when trainees started to be paid 2/3rds of unit shift pay in addition to they're basic salary (pro-rated as they don't work nights).
I assume this was NATS wide (adjusted for unit banding) and not just at Swanwick.
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Also can't believe the comments regarding pay.
I can't even begin to guess what rust buckets problem is. And runway, by training at Global your experience during training, is likely to have been very different from the majority of other NATS trainees. In fact, you really need to count yourself lucky that you avoided CTC and the potential to hold for well over a year (even pre-covid). So to state that this guy should stick to Australia is downright ignorant at best. The huge majority of TATC's, SATC's and anyone considering the career will rightfully be concerned about the salary. Particularly with the rate that living costs are rising.
"Bear in mind there is a long list of people waiting to return to NATS who are happy and have been able to make their finances work in the short term for a suitable salary when qualified." - I'd bet that the returning trainees are definitely not "happy" with the salary. They will be happy to be returning but managing their finances definitely will not be a "short term" thing. The reality is that they will very likely hold, some for a considerable time. At this point they will not progress in salary past the SATC points (circa 25k p/a). Realistically it could be 2+ years before they reach that suitable salary. That's a long time to manage finances, particularly for those who have taken huge pay cuts, have kids, mortgages, credit card debts etc etc. Its a long list and everyone will have something that they need money for.
Dan Dare really hit the nail on the head. Trainees are hindered by the salary. It adds unnecessary stress to an already stressful period of time. The last thing you want to be thinking about the night before a sim summative is how you're going to pay this month's gas bill.
Let's break down some figures here.
Income whilst at CTC: £18k + £60 per week. Round this to £1300 per month salary and add £240 per month for the accommodation figure = £1560 per month.
Lets take some rough figures for expenses.
Accommodation in a house share = £600-800
Unless you are lucky, with so many trainees all looking for somewhere to stay, it's going to be difficult to get accommodation within walking distance to CTC so then you have transport costs.
Car insurance = £50-100
Fuel = £100-200
Food costs = £150-250
Phone bill = £20-100
Credit card/student loan/overdraft = £50-300
Realistically you could be looking at anywhere in the region of £970-1750 of outgoings a month. Now just imagine you have a mortgage back home in Belfast or Manchester or wherever else.. childcare costs.. car payments. And lets not go down the route of "oH bUT TheY cAN EAt LeSs Or WaLk EVeRyWhERe". These guys and girls are giving up years of their lives to train and validate. They put up with constant displays of complete and utter contempt from the upper echelons of management. Surely they deserve a salary that they can at least live on?
As stated above, the salary does go up a bit at unit. You'll be looking at £31k at the top bands after shift pay is included. That's currently as good as it gets for the 1-3 years it takes to get on-the-job training started and validate.
Rant over.. to summarise.. wind your neck in
I can't even begin to guess what rust buckets problem is. And runway, by training at Global your experience during training, is likely to have been very different from the majority of other NATS trainees. In fact, you really need to count yourself lucky that you avoided CTC and the potential to hold for well over a year (even pre-covid). So to state that this guy should stick to Australia is downright ignorant at best. The huge majority of TATC's, SATC's and anyone considering the career will rightfully be concerned about the salary. Particularly with the rate that living costs are rising.
"Bear in mind there is a long list of people waiting to return to NATS who are happy and have been able to make their finances work in the short term for a suitable salary when qualified." - I'd bet that the returning trainees are definitely not "happy" with the salary. They will be happy to be returning but managing their finances definitely will not be a "short term" thing. The reality is that they will very likely hold, some for a considerable time. At this point they will not progress in salary past the SATC points (circa 25k p/a). Realistically it could be 2+ years before they reach that suitable salary. That's a long time to manage finances, particularly for those who have taken huge pay cuts, have kids, mortgages, credit card debts etc etc. Its a long list and everyone will have something that they need money for.
Dan Dare really hit the nail on the head. Trainees are hindered by the salary. It adds unnecessary stress to an already stressful period of time. The last thing you want to be thinking about the night before a sim summative is how you're going to pay this month's gas bill.
Let's break down some figures here.
Income whilst at CTC: £18k + £60 per week. Round this to £1300 per month salary and add £240 per month for the accommodation figure = £1560 per month.
Lets take some rough figures for expenses.
Accommodation in a house share = £600-800
Unless you are lucky, with so many trainees all looking for somewhere to stay, it's going to be difficult to get accommodation within walking distance to CTC so then you have transport costs.
Car insurance = £50-100
Fuel = £100-200
Food costs = £150-250
Phone bill = £20-100
Credit card/student loan/overdraft = £50-300
Realistically you could be looking at anywhere in the region of £970-1750 of outgoings a month. Now just imagine you have a mortgage back home in Belfast or Manchester or wherever else.. childcare costs.. car payments. And lets not go down the route of "oH bUT TheY cAN EAt LeSs Or WaLk EVeRyWhERe". These guys and girls are giving up years of their lives to train and validate. They put up with constant displays of complete and utter contempt from the upper echelons of management. Surely they deserve a salary that they can at least live on?
As stated above, the salary does go up a bit at unit. You'll be looking at £31k at the top bands after shift pay is included. That's currently as good as it gets for the 1-3 years it takes to get on-the-job training started and validate.
Rant over.. to summarise.. wind your neck in
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And what’s the alternative like then…? Exactly self fund or the sponsorship route.
Both were out of the question for me. I wanted to become an ATCO and the only viable way for me was through NATS. I’m not saying it was easy and money wasn’t tight and paying double rent effectively meant I had to work part time at weekends and bank holidays to get it, but it was something I wanted!! A career that’s well paid and stable with no major entry qualifications…certainly beats my old job where I could earn £30-35k for 5 days a week of 12 hours work a day. Possibly getting upto £50k if I was going to do 6 days and work myself into the ground. No thanks!
Plenty have been through the colleges and made it work and I doubt many have regretted it.
Both were out of the question for me. I wanted to become an ATCO and the only viable way for me was through NATS. I’m not saying it was easy and money wasn’t tight and paying double rent effectively meant I had to work part time at weekends and bank holidays to get it, but it was something I wanted!! A career that’s well paid and stable with no major entry qualifications…certainly beats my old job where I could earn £30-35k for 5 days a week of 12 hours work a day. Possibly getting upto £50k if I was going to do 6 days and work myself into the ground. No thanks!
Plenty have been through the colleges and made it work and I doubt many have regretted it.
