Why is there an ATCO shortage
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Why is there an ATCO shortage
Currently in the application process for ATCO and ended up thinking about job numbers (in an idle job prospect kind of way!)
So how many ATCOs are there in the UK approx do people think? 50? 100? 1000? 10,000?
seem to be 2 passouts from college every year and from what i can gather it seems to be around 40 people pass out every year. (is that correct?)
How many ATCOs retire every year?
are ATCO numbers increasing or decreasing? is there a shortage because there is more demand for ATCOs or because more people are leaving than joining?
How many ATCOs move to work abroad? is this common?
So how many ATCOs are there in the UK approx do people think? 50? 100? 1000? 10,000?
seem to be 2 passouts from college every year and from what i can gather it seems to be around 40 people pass out every year. (is that correct?)
How many ATCOs retire every year?
are ATCO numbers increasing or decreasing? is there a shortage because there is more demand for ATCOs or because more people are leaving than joining?
How many ATCOs move to work abroad? is this common?
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Now that our current CEO is well and trulty trying to turn a once great and respected job into that of a big issue seller, expect more to leave over the next few years.
I remember when I used to be proud to say I work for NATS...... but that was before the current arsehole management team took the reigns...
Air traffic is a blinding job, the company.... bag of ****e.
I remember when I used to be proud to say I work for NATS...... but that was before the current arsehole management team took the reigns...
Air traffic is a blinding job, the company.... bag of ****e.
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Quite a lot to ask in one go! Some of which is searchable, but what the heck...
AFAIR, there are about 2,500 ATCOs in the UK, of whom about half are employed by NATS, and the rest by the RAF, RN and non-NATS ATS providers such as Serco and those airports which run ATC themselves. Not all ATCOs are operational - I would expect that number to include a good number of managers, project staff, instructors, etc, who hold ATC licenses.
The shortage of controllers is probably due to a variety of factors. While there may be a small retirement bubble effect, it is almost certainly much les significant than in, say, the US or Canada where recruitment can be halted for years at a time. Other factors are a small training capacity, fairly low success rates in training and some attrition to overseas. From to NATS perspective, there are also losses of controllers to other domestic ATS providers though NATS is more likely these days to have a net influx of ATCOs from other UK employers. In the old days, a lot of people who failed the final courses at CATC would have aerodrome ratings and thus be binned by NATS and picked up by non-NATS airports, eventually returning to NATS in many cases as experienced ATCOs.
Working abroad is an option though not one to shout about before you have a few years of valid experience. Eurocontrol doubtless has some ex-NATS ATCOs as well as British citizens trained by Eurocontrol and outwith the usual British training and employment stream. The number of British ATCOs working in the Middle East is probably in double figures, so not a hugely significant number. A low double figure are in Canada and there must be some in NZ and Australia, and perhaps a very few in South Africa. There are isolated pockets elsewhere, such as with DFS in Germany and Skyguide in Switzerland.
The shortage of controllers is a worldwide phenomenon, thanks in large part to underfunding of recruitment and training programs and the preference among many employers to run short-staffed and save a few bob. Given the overtime bills in some locations, that can be a double-edged sword for the ATS provider as well as relying hugely on the goodwill and professionalism of staff. If we all work to rule, the system will break! Added to that, plenty of countries don't do their own initial ATCO training or rely on expats.
Personally, I'm glad to work somewhere where overtime is unusual and we have time to recharge between cycles. It shouldn't be long (though controllers can be their own worst enemies in this regard) before there is a day of reckoning in those countries with monopoly ATS providers trying to get away with understaffing. Certain countries, thinking perhaps of those which produce such things as luxury chocolate, boomerangs and hockey pucks, would grind to a halt without overtime. It's about time for ATCOs to refuse overtime and refuse to work beyond safe traffic levels, and make a good PR case rather than allowing some ATS providers to use the line of "there's no sympathy for highly-paid ATCOs". As soon as you ask the travelling public how much they'd like you to be paid, and how much time off you should get, when they and their loved ones are flying, you find a LOT of sympathy...
AFAIR, there are about 2,500 ATCOs in the UK, of whom about half are employed by NATS, and the rest by the RAF, RN and non-NATS ATS providers such as Serco and those airports which run ATC themselves. Not all ATCOs are operational - I would expect that number to include a good number of managers, project staff, instructors, etc, who hold ATC licenses.
The shortage of controllers is probably due to a variety of factors. While there may be a small retirement bubble effect, it is almost certainly much les significant than in, say, the US or Canada where recruitment can be halted for years at a time. Other factors are a small training capacity, fairly low success rates in training and some attrition to overseas. From to NATS perspective, there are also losses of controllers to other domestic ATS providers though NATS is more likely these days to have a net influx of ATCOs from other UK employers. In the old days, a lot of people who failed the final courses at CATC would have aerodrome ratings and thus be binned by NATS and picked up by non-NATS airports, eventually returning to NATS in many cases as experienced ATCOs.
Working abroad is an option though not one to shout about before you have a few years of valid experience. Eurocontrol doubtless has some ex-NATS ATCOs as well as British citizens trained by Eurocontrol and outwith the usual British training and employment stream. The number of British ATCOs working in the Middle East is probably in double figures, so not a hugely significant number. A low double figure are in Canada and there must be some in NZ and Australia, and perhaps a very few in South Africa. There are isolated pockets elsewhere, such as with DFS in Germany and Skyguide in Switzerland.
The shortage of controllers is a worldwide phenomenon, thanks in large part to underfunding of recruitment and training programs and the preference among many employers to run short-staffed and save a few bob. Given the overtime bills in some locations, that can be a double-edged sword for the ATS provider as well as relying hugely on the goodwill and professionalism of staff. If we all work to rule, the system will break! Added to that, plenty of countries don't do their own initial ATCO training or rely on expats.
Personally, I'm glad to work somewhere where overtime is unusual and we have time to recharge between cycles. It shouldn't be long (though controllers can be their own worst enemies in this regard) before there is a day of reckoning in those countries with monopoly ATS providers trying to get away with understaffing. Certain countries, thinking perhaps of those which produce such things as luxury chocolate, boomerangs and hockey pucks, would grind to a halt without overtime. It's about time for ATCOs to refuse overtime and refuse to work beyond safe traffic levels, and make a good PR case rather than allowing some ATS providers to use the line of "there's no sympathy for highly-paid ATCOs". As soon as you ask the travelling public how much they'd like you to be paid, and how much time off you should get, when they and their loved ones are flying, you find a LOT of sympathy...
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I remember when I used to be proud to say I work for NATS......
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in answer to your questions
i would have said less than 3000 controllers in the uk
the numbers from the college seem about right, but not all of those that pass out from the college will validate and become usable. it may have improved but the failure rate used to be as high as 40%.
because of the recuitment strategy of the company in the past you have the situation at the moment where you have groups of people all multi valid reaching or close to retirement, so whilst, on paper, you may have the same number of people, topped up my new recruits, the replacements are only single valid so you are, overall down on total validations , which decreases flexibility.
as for movement abroad, again its a big decision. i think there has been a recent increase in people investigating their options due to the closing of the manchester centre as well as the pension rethink. one of the big plusses to staying was the fact that the pension was cast iron. unfortunately that is not the case anymore especially for those just joining. other companies offer pay and benefits just as good , if not, better if you are thinking of moving. but pay is not the only factor to consider, so maybe there will be more people move, maybe not.
This company seems soo money orientated now. its a for profit business, maybe we should think the same. want someone to be an examiner or lce ? then make sure its properly renumerated, otherwise no. want me to volunteer to do a project? where's my bonus? .
in reality, i have to concur with privatesandwiches. Ever since this company went from being a non profit entity, to one whose mantra seems to be 'profit is king' its gone downhill. Now, the bonus culture that has brought soo much trouble to the financial institutions worldwide seems to be prevalent in the company.frontline staff, controllers and engineers etc. seem to be viewed as more of a hinderence to the profit making opportunties of the company, than an asset. they seem to have totally forgotten that without us, there is NO profit. unfortunately, as far as i see it, after the pension vote, which i know was a fully democratic decision (and i have serious misgivings about the low turnout). anyway after that result the union is a toothless tiger. if we weren't willing to act on the holy grail subject of pensions then we never will. management know it and will take full advantage of it. its one of the reasons that there is still no pay deal, i think. At every opportunity they will play hardball because they think we will not have the will for a fight. and up to now they have been proved spot on.
anyway i'm beginning to veer into rant mode mode now which is of no use. i dont mean to sound so negative you are entering a good profession. you will find the people you work with are a good laugh, just come into the company with your eyes wide open. enjoy the college. its hard work but if you apply yourself correctly , or have a photographic memory
you'll do fine. get that first validation under your belt. that should be your goal. best of luck 
i would have said less than 3000 controllers in the uk
the numbers from the college seem about right, but not all of those that pass out from the college will validate and become usable. it may have improved but the failure rate used to be as high as 40%.
because of the recuitment strategy of the company in the past you have the situation at the moment where you have groups of people all multi valid reaching or close to retirement, so whilst, on paper, you may have the same number of people, topped up my new recruits, the replacements are only single valid so you are, overall down on total validations , which decreases flexibility.
as for movement abroad, again its a big decision. i think there has been a recent increase in people investigating their options due to the closing of the manchester centre as well as the pension rethink. one of the big plusses to staying was the fact that the pension was cast iron. unfortunately that is not the case anymore especially for those just joining. other companies offer pay and benefits just as good , if not, better if you are thinking of moving. but pay is not the only factor to consider, so maybe there will be more people move, maybe not.
This company seems soo money orientated now. its a for profit business, maybe we should think the same. want someone to be an examiner or lce ? then make sure its properly renumerated, otherwise no. want me to volunteer to do a project? where's my bonus? .
in reality, i have to concur with privatesandwiches. Ever since this company went from being a non profit entity, to one whose mantra seems to be 'profit is king' its gone downhill. Now, the bonus culture that has brought soo much trouble to the financial institutions worldwide seems to be prevalent in the company.frontline staff, controllers and engineers etc. seem to be viewed as more of a hinderence to the profit making opportunties of the company, than an asset. they seem to have totally forgotten that without us, there is NO profit. unfortunately, as far as i see it, after the pension vote, which i know was a fully democratic decision (and i have serious misgivings about the low turnout). anyway after that result the union is a toothless tiger. if we weren't willing to act on the holy grail subject of pensions then we never will. management know it and will take full advantage of it. its one of the reasons that there is still no pay deal, i think. At every opportunity they will play hardball because they think we will not have the will for a fight. and up to now they have been proved spot on.
anyway i'm beginning to veer into rant mode mode now which is of no use. i dont mean to sound so negative you are entering a good profession. you will find the people you work with are a good laugh, just come into the company with your eyes wide open. enjoy the college. its hard work but if you apply yourself correctly , or have a photographic memory
you'll do fine. get that first validation under your belt. that should be your goal. best of luck
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Part of the reason there is a shortage in NATS is the continually shortsightedness of some management.
College intakes have gone up and down like a whores drawers - because the money men have no idea of what it takes to train an ATCO.
As soon as numbers at units get anywhere near to being fully staffed, the course intakes get reduced. Then a year down the line they realise that we need more people - but of course training ATCOs is not instantaneous, it takes time.
Therefore any break in training is very difficult to recover from. At the moment, with the temporary downturn in traffic, numbers are coming into line.
What needs to happen is tha we continue to train at the same pace, because in 2 or 3 years time we will be back to 2007/2008 traffic levels, with an average 6 or 7% increase year on year.
Short answer to your question is - poor management. Just ask the Americans about the FAA and Reagan years.
College intakes have gone up and down like a whores drawers - because the money men have no idea of what it takes to train an ATCO.
As soon as numbers at units get anywhere near to being fully staffed, the course intakes get reduced. Then a year down the line they realise that we need more people - but of course training ATCOs is not instantaneous, it takes time.
Therefore any break in training is very difficult to recover from. At the moment, with the temporary downturn in traffic, numbers are coming into line.
What needs to happen is tha we continue to train at the same pace, because in 2 or 3 years time we will be back to 2007/2008 traffic levels, with an average 6 or 7% increase year on year.
Short answer to your question is - poor management. Just ask the Americans about the FAA and Reagan years.
doom
What needs to happen is tha we continue to train at the same pace, because in 2 or 3 years time we will be back to 2007/2008 traffic levels, with an average 6 or 7% increase year on year.
b b
Not just NATS by the way. Gross mismanagement and unbelievable incompetence is one of the MAIN reasons. The slow down in traffic during these troubled times has delayed the mayhem that would have hit us this Summer, but if the same clowns are at the helm in a year or two then God help all ye air travellers.
