From an Area perspective, it may be 11/12 months (as it is currently) but that's to achieve your Student license. Then you go to your unit and do OJT to earn your validations which will take another 12-18 months, something that's not noted particularly clearly on the NATS Careers site.

As a trainee controller 1 month into his Basic course at the moment, I don't expect to be "going it alone" for at least another 2 years at a minimum...

Yes they do recruit local female trainees in ATC, and the local male and female controllers are underpaid, and the foreign male and female controllers are very overpaid in Bahrain. So it is a local vs. foreign thing in here not a male vs. female thing.

Okay Trevor still 2 or 2 and half years is much less than 4 and half or 5 years to become a qualified controller. I wish the system in here would be considerate and teach people and provide them with the knowledge and training so they will be qualified for work in 2 years. You only learn this job if you train for it and actually do it. If you just sit on the bench for 4 or 5 years not training for this job you are not going to learn anything, so it is a waste of time and experience.