NATS Experienced Controller Recruitment

[vintage ATCO]

My job's going . . . .

[Talkdownman]

Nah, Chevvers. Wot you mean is.... 'The main problem that could conceivably arise is that due to an incident at your nats 'secondary' unit, your licence is pulled so you cannot work operationally for The Employer Who Values You More at your 'main' unit.......'

[Roadrunner Once]

So, over a year on, is there any sign of another round of external recruitment on the horizon? Or is it back to the old method of individual units recruiting on an ad-hoc basis?

Any nuggets of info welcome

[Loxley]

As far as I'm aware, NATS aren't recruiting externally for the time being. Apparently there's a ban on units recruiting experienced ATCOs at the moment that's been in place for several months now. Not sure if that's the case anymore though...

[WireFired]

Would it be naive of me to ask why this is currently the case?

Surely, from an operational and a business perspective recruiting experienced ATCOs makes good sense. Why would recruiting someone with a proven track-record in his or her profession be "banned" from working for NATS.

[Loxley]

Surely, from an operational and a business perspective recruiting experienced ATCOs makes good sense.

Therein lies the problem, NATS and good sense have never made particularly good bed fellows

Why would recruiting someone with a proven track-record in his or her profession be "banned" from working for NATS.

They aren't 'banned' per se, the ban is on units themselves recruiting externally. I presume it's so that the whole thing could be centralised through NATS HR. Which is fine until we remember the cack handed way NATS HR dealt with external recruitment the last time round. Piss up and brewery is the first thought that springs to mind. It was perfectly obvious, from talking to friends who tried to apply, that the people who were responsible for recruitment that time round didn't have the faintest idea what they were doing. Maybe some knuckles have been rapped and lessons have been learned so that when NATS start recruiting for experienced ATCOs again (which they surely must do at some point in the not too distant future....) they won't embarrass themselves again and come across quite so amateurishly*.

*is amateurishly a word?

[Gonzo]

the ban is on units themselves recruiting externally

.....and the evidence for this?

[Loxley]

.....and the evidence for this?

The NATS HR Director for airports (whose name escapes me just now) whom I spoke to about this 3 months ago, as well as our unit management. Maybe you've heard something different?

[Gonzo]

I've not heard anything in this regard.

We've certainly recruited from outside of NATS, and continue to do so.

[Loxley]

I've not heard anything in this regard.

We've certainly recruited from outside of NATS, and continue to do so. Today 21:47

As has my unit, but like I say this was a conversation I had 3 months ago. Maybe things have changed again since. Up until that point 3 months ago we had also taken on people from outside NATS, like a number of other NATS units had done. There was then *apparently* a recruitment ban or freeze or whatever you would like to call it, that was most likely going to continue until the first part of this year. Maybe Heathrow are given special dispensation, I don't know, but that has certainly been the case until very recently at the very least.

[ProcATCO]

Speaking for myself, I have looked into this and have found that if, like me, you are an experienced Tower and Approach ATCO but without a radar rating, you have no chance. Even more so, again like me, if you are 48 years old, and have recently had a year off with a medical problem which subsequently turned out not to be a problem!!!

There must a number of ATCO's like me out there who would be quite happy to work in a NATS Tower for the rest of their career, thus leaving the radar tasks for others. Not through any lack of talent or ability, but because of the "ageism" that seems to be prevalent in the corridors of power.

NATS management, please take note!!

[chevvron]

ProcATCO: don't know where you live, but why not try writing to the GM at (say) London City explaining your experience; he may be able to do something. Certainly without an APS rating, several NATS airpots would be unlikely to accept you, but several others are ADI only and you appear to have that rating.