What would have been nice is waiting to see if the Edinburgh and London City contracts are retained before recruiting externally somewhere else. Stansted after all is only a Band 3 unit. Otherwise NATS have potentially a lot of controllers on a 'Trust of a Promise' to find places for. And I believe they will not 'promote' through that process.

Hootin an a roarin, there were multiple TOAP posting offers to band 5 units from Gatwick.

Without getting into a bun fight band 2 and 3 are there and there abouts the same. Anything above that needs assessment centres, interviews and the usual jumping through many hoops. I suspect if the EDI contract is lost, they are not going to offer anyone LHR on a TOAP which takes me back to my original point.

So, just for fun let's speculate on what profile they are looking for at SS. No NATS staff, so that rules out experience at the bigger airports. Unless there are ex-NATS staff out there who for whatever reason are no longer in the job but all-of-a-sudden fancy getting back in. GA units? One would hardly credit it. So someone from a larger non-NATS place - Liverpool/Donni/Newcastle etc. Probably a better bet. Or they could take someone who has had mostly just ADV experience, nothing bigger than a KingAir, no APP unit to co-ordinate with, sod all IFR/airways work, no LVP's much, no Wake Turbulence departures - I could go on. Why de I mention that? Because a certain ex-NATS single rwy, well known airport in the SE has just employed someone with that profile......


Now please forgive the bitterness (not really...) as I wish the person concerned all the very best. And at the end of the day if there is a successful validation out of it then one cannot possible moan. The choice of what must have simply been based on "raw talent" will have been justified, as the profile does not immediately look like a good match. So what do employers see and want in these HR-driven days? We've all supposedly got the same licences, which now extends to our European colleagues. What about one of them then?


I'd welcome your thoughts because from what I've seen of late it is all a bit of a mystery.......!

You've forgotten about one group. The experienced UK ATCO's working overseas at some pretty complex and busy units who might just fancy heading back home.

That's the least of the problems to affect that ex-NATS unit this summer, believe me! :hmm::yuk:

I would exho lissart's comment. We are in this so called amazing united european emirates where we all have the same licence and can go anywhere in europe to further progress our career or just look for a change of work your back side off for shareholders (sorry couldnt resist).
I have applied in germany, spain and italy only to be told i cannot apply which is really confusing since i thought in europe,there was no issue. Seems like the UK are the only ones that are taking people and now externally.
Good luck to all and hopefully the UK will be out of europe in late june

I find the last comment quite interessting, because if consider that the ATCO license is "valid" internationally but actually if you apply in some countries (in Europe) it's almost impossible to get in. For example I got a ADI, APS rating plus i speak Italian (mother tongue) but I couldn't have any changes to get in Italy and work in a major airport to get a "new experience". I find this a bit sad and for sure not European mind set, in other terms I mean that aviation it's trying to standaraize everything (english level, phrasology, training, medical) but when we got finally that license, we can move pratically only inside or move in the Far East/Middle East or Africa (maybe). Why?

You have no chance of working in Italy for ENAV anyway, unless a family member already works for ENAV, or one of your relatives works for the government etc... ;)

From personal experience I can tell it's just as hard in the UK/with the UK CAA to get a EU license recognized.

The CAA only employ ATCOs for office jobs for regulation and examining etc. They take people without ANY civil ATC experience too.

I wasn't talking about working for the CAA. What I meant was getting the UK CAA to recognize a EU license in order to work as an ATCO isn't just a piece of cake.

Where does this differ from someone coming straight from the college(or a college) going straight to these units? I don't see previous unit experience being that much of a factor(in some cases it's a disadvantage as you have to unlearn previous techniques) - in the changing world of ATC I think HR and unit management want someone with more than just skills to say cleared to land, where's my pay rise.

Ok I will ask, 3 miles what are HR actually looking for then. Personally we are so short staffed, (thank you mr I will give everybody VR who applies), that my criteria would be if you have a pulse start tomorrow.