Can't really remember, but I think it was around a week or 2 I had to wait before I got an email saying I had passed stage 1

Salary question
 

Hi all,

I'm considering applying again after failing at the interview stage eight years ago. In that time I've had a family, got a mortgage etc and one of my main concerns now is how I'll be able to support them on a very reduced wage and how long that would be the case for.

The NATS website is a bit vague about the timescale for salary progression so can anyone answer the following for me please:

How long does the unit training last roughly? I.e. the period of time before the salary rises to 30k+. I appreciate this will depend on unit/person to an extent, and I'd like to know about Swanwick in particular but also anywhere else.

When the salary rises on the third anniversary, is this the third anniversary of finishing college or completing the unit training?

Thanks in advance.

Unit training depends entirely on which unit you go to. You don't get a choice - you can select a preference, but you'll go where the company needs you to go, which may well mean uprooting your family.

With regards to Swanwick, it can be up to 6 months after leaving the college before you get on to a 3 month training course in the sims, then you're looking at least a year from the end of that. That's a best case scenario and assumes you don't fail any of the assessments on the way, if you do fail one then add a couple of months on to my numbers. Of course you've already done at least 9 months at the college, more if you've failed anything, and then there's a chance you may be kept waiting before you join a unit. It took me 3 years and 5 months from starting with the company to validating at Swanwick, although the college course is now 6 months shorter.

Regarding your salary progression, it jumps from the starting wage once you leave the college to around double that and then when you validate atr your unit it goes over £30k. If I remember correctly, if you validate within three years of starting with the company you'll stay on the 30k+ and then after your three year anniversary you jump onto the ATCO scale which is a significant rise, but varies depending on where you're posted by around £5k, it's still a nice pay rise whichever way you look at it

Thanks for the reply, very informative.

Stage 2
 

Hi,
I'm booked in for Friday April 15th :)

Best of luck !!

Sorry I may be being dim but to clarify do you jump to the atco scale after 3 years from day 1 of college (if validated), or after 3 years as a validated atco?

On the third anniversary of you joining the company.

Assuming of course you are valid by then...

Hi, Megamc!

When did you pass your stage 1? Since you're on the 15th April, I'm guessing you just missed out on the January stage 2. I just got my email today to say I passed stage 1 but no assessment dates are available.. hopefully the 15th April slots haven't already all been filled up!!! :{

Hey everyone! Happy to have passed Stage 2 as well and now waiting for my Stage 3 on the 11th of February.

Anyone going on the same day or with some helpful tips (e.g. bring something to read there's a lot of waiting. Thx Cpteffron!) feel free to pm me! :)

Good luck for the others awaiting their stage 2 and make sure you are well rested!

Stage 3
 

Hi,

Anyone recently sat their stage 3 interview, if so how long was it before they heard back from them?

@Scaphrax I did my first online test aswell, but it's been over a week now and haven't got any mail yet. Last time I did it, I got the mail for stage 2 online after a few hours. Strange... Gonna give it another week!

@timpsi

I did mine last week and got same day replies even at 2am in the morning! Hopefully it's just a glitch or something in the system but good luck!

It will have been two weeks from Thursday this week for me and still no email about my stage 1 results... Not sure if it's becuase all the ongoing stage 2/3 stuff which means they don't have time to go through the rest of us

Congratulation extalex!!!! :ok::ok: :D :D :D :D :D

were the tips useful?

When did you have your interview/how many days later was that?

are2395,

My Interview was last Thursday (28th) and I got the news Monday afternoon that I needed to call them back ASAP.

@mattd75

But it's an online test, they're not supposed to check anything during these stages, right? It's supposed to be an automatic answer based on the critera NATS has.

@vc21

That's veeery strange. Must be a glitch if you did yours last week and got the reply within a day... Should I email them and ask or just try to click the test link again??

Stage 3
 

Hi All,

Hope all those who attended Stage 3 with me received similar good news this week! Looks like I've been allocated a course on the 21st March, so all hands on deck trying to organise everything now!!

Anyone else going to be on 243 with me?

Alex

Woa congrats extalex! :D

If everything goes well coming 11th I might get to join you in march. We'll see, fingers crossed! :)

I'm going to be on that course as well subject to my medical going ok! Booking in for medical on 8th March