Air Traffic Control Issues

[checkstate]

Extraordinary. 11 controllers all at their console for 8 consecutive hours? No rotating 30 min relief provided by the supervisor/s? Was sustenance taken in situ? What about toilet breaks? Was this regarded as normal and accepted by the union officials and membership, despite the provisions of the EA?

The company's argument was that the nature of the work provided opportunities for these breaks to naturally occur. I'll say it is slowly getting better in Melbourne. Many groups no longer do single person nights (doggos), but there's still a measurable number that do. It might strike you as surprising that Melbourne Approach, (Australia's busiest TCU overnight), had single person doggos up until a few months ago.

While our union is much more sedate than many members would like it to be, they slowly push for better working conditions. When the next EBA negotiations start within a year, it'll be interesting to see what comes with it. The angst/ uprest at the company currently can only be described as "white-hot." amongst those at the coal-face.

 

[Seat0B]

I am not sure funding is the only limiting factor.
I thought they had difficulty finding enough suitable candidates.
However I am open to being corrected.

I am sure you are right.

I was responding to this comment, which was largely about budget/funding issues.

AirServices Australia only has certain budget. Someone higher up (Federal Government) actually needs to provide more funding and provide directives on reducing SYD capacity ......

 

[markis10]

A good snapshot from the other side of the story:

Exclusive: We need around 10% more ATCs, says Airservices boss

Speaking exclusively to Australian Aviation, Sharp said he feels Airservices should have around 1,200 air traffic controllers, and that current recruitment rates are the highest in its history. It comes as Airservices faces criticism for highly-publicised delays and near misses at Sydney Airport.

australianaviation.com.au

 

[elanshin]

I wonder if by moving Sydney TCU to Mel, this would reduce application pools as some Sydney based potential candidates, can't entertain moving to Melbourne even if they have the capabilities. Wouldn't this sort of be like shooting yourself in the foot at the baseline hiring process?

 

[markis10]

wonder if by moving Sydney TCU to Mel, this would reduce application pools

Maybe, but it’s applicants that are not the issue and have not been since the 80s, it’s the sausage factory that is the training regime

 

[elanshin]

Maybe, but it’s applicants that are not the issue and have not been since the 80s, it’s the sausage factory that is the training regime

I wonder if there could be aptitude test improvements to find better "match fit" applicants earlier on in the process so that attrition rates during training can be lowered.

 

[AuSammy]

I wonder if there could be aptitude test improvements to find better "match fit" applicants earlier on in the process so that attrition rates during training can be lowered.

Most training organisations for specific skillsets face significant attrition rates. IIRC when I joined the public service for a specific career decades ago, I don't know how many applied, but 5000 were selected to face an examination cull. Around 160 were selected to proceed to extensive interviews. Around 130 made it into the course. At the end of year one we had around 60 remaining.

 

[Quickstatus]

I wonder if there could be aptitude test improvements t

As suggested by others like @checkstate, @markis10
The rate limiting step is not the number of candidates, or the number of eligible candidates after an initial cull, but the infrastructure and qualified trainers to conduct the training.

Qualified trainers are operational ATC - take them out of operations mean less ATC at the coalface.

 

[elanshin]

As suggested by others like @checkstate, @markis10
The rate limiting step is not the number of candidates, or the number of eligible candidates after an initial cull, but the infrastructure and qualified trainers to conduct the training.

Qualified trainers are operational ATC - take them out of operations mean less ATC at the coalface.

I understand and am wondering because this is the bottleneck, should there be much stricter requirements and tests at the initial stages to lower attrition rates during training.

 

[Quickstatus]

lower attrition rates during training.

That is the whole point of simulator training - to find suitable ATC.
Is there any other way?
The FAA hiring Video gamers - apparently they are getting superb initial scores but they still have to go through the simulator.

Current ATC workforce 1200
Rob Sharp says down by 10% which is 120 ATC short

Additionally, I wonder if there was a pause in newbie ATC training due to WSI opening - because I believe all controllers operating in the Sydney basin (SYD TCU, SYD Tower, Bankstown, Camden towers) would have been required to undergo simulator training for the WSI airspace.
(There was a "concern" publication about this somewhere)

 

[markis10]

I understand and am wondering because this is the bottleneck, should there be much stricter requirements and tests at the initial stages to lower attrition rates during training.

Probably not possible, if testing could result in a higher pass rate it would have happened years ago.