FAA KIDS ARE IN 'CONTROL' - DESPERATE FEDS WOOING HIGH-SCHOOLERS

The New York Post ^ | July 14, 2008 | CHUCK BENNETT

[Stoat]

The FAA has offered an unprecedented $100,000 bonus to air-traffic controllers throughout the country to lure them to the New York area's five understaffed radar centers - and has even begun trolling local high schools to recruit for the jobs.

The FAA began its recruitment efforts in high schools and through online ads on MySpace and Craigslist because of a severe staffing shortage and lack of experience among workers at its air-control towers.

 

(edit)

By 2011, 59 percent of all controllers will have less than five years on the job.

 

[Stoat]

My apologies for the severe editing of this article.  This was done in order to remain in compliance with Free Republic posting rules pertaining to articles from the New York Post.  Please click on the original article link to read the complete story which is exclusive to the Post.

 

[Nailbiter]

Pushing Tin, ping

[gusopol3]

the more problems you hear about the workforce in the aviation industry and airlines in general, the fewer crashes there seem to be.(I just don’t get it)

[autumnraine]

I need to discuss air traffic controlling with my kids...

[Stoat]

the more problems you hear about the workforce in the aviation industry and airlines in general, the fewer crashes there seem to be.(I just don’t get it)

I seem to recall that at least one city in Belgium has removed all traffic lights and traffic-regulatory signage, saying that it is unnecessary.

Perhaps the EU has begun a stealth campaign to take over our skies as well?

(snicker)

[southland]

Less flying amoung civil aviation people is one reason the accidents have gone down.

[Stoat]

I need to discuss air traffic controlling with my kids...

It seems to be the in-demand career of the moment.

I remember when there was a shortage of engineers, then nurses.  A huge and frantic call was put out and legions of people entered those fields, filling them to the point that there was an overabundance in many markets.  The problem was, nobody told the kids still in the pipeline and then by the time those millions graduated, many were disappointed to find that the job market was not quite as lucrative as they had been led to believe.

[mdmathis6]

We nurses are still in demand....and the demand is expected to go up as the “boomers” retire. The joke amongst my peers is that they’ll get us all wheel chairs to work from as opposed to letting us retire!

[Mygirlsmom]

By 2011, 59 percent of all controllers will have less than five years on the job

They mentioned something like this at my daughter's college orientation this week. With a huge wave of boomers set to retire, this is most likely the case in many sectors.

While undoubtedly there will be huge losses of knowledge in some areas (certain manufacturing processes come to mind), in government, perhaps, this could provide an opportunity for smaller rolls by attrition (says the ever-optomist me). More than likely what it WILL do is provide tons of lucrative "consulting" gigs for "retired" boomers.

[Stoat]

Yes, I’ve heard that....and I’ve also heard that straight-A students are having to wait two or more years before they can even get into RN programs now because there is such a huge backlog of applicants and not enough seats in the RN programs.

I’m only saying that if you’re among the ‘first wave’ of graduates who enters the workforce after these apoplectic calls is made for new workers in a given field then you’ll probably land a plum spot. If you’re a couple of years behind the first wave, you may not.

Also, the dynamics of different occupations varies dramatically, and I have a feeling that an aging airline fleet won’t require a huge number of extra controllers to look after them.....they tend to go to the airline graveyards in the desert :-)

[gusopol3]

private planes? But I mean the airlines, I can’t remember one with major loss of life since the one where the wiring went bad and caused the fire in flight, that had to be 3-4 years ago. It seems there used to be one every 1-2 years. Older planes, you’d expect more.

[Big Giant Head]

I just bought Flight Simulator X that includes the air traffic control simulation side. Maybe instead of flying around in the sim, I should be practicing for a new career.

High school kids pepped up on sugar should be able to handle NY airspace easily, right?

[mathluv]

When I saw ‘FFA Kids’, I thought you meant Future Farmers of America, and wondered what they were in control of.

[mathluv]

Then I realized it was FAA, not FFA.

[Stoat]

When I saw ‘FFA Kids’, I thought you meant Future Farmers of America, and wondered what they were in control of.

 

 

I"m not touching that with a ten foot 'anything'.......

[mathluv]

LOL! I needed that, but I think I need coffee more. Time to get it.

[TheCipher]

They only have themselves to blame. They will not hire anyone over 31 years old ( even though retirement age is 56 ). That excludes a lot of retired military controllers who may want the job.

http://jobs.faa.gov/asap_detail.asp?vac_id=106717

[Dr. Ursus]

The FAA wrote the book on bureaucratic incompetence.

[TheCipher]

Yep, they will rather hire an 18 year old than someone with 20 years experience

[Dr. Ursus]

The reason they hire young ATC is that they still rely on
them to separate air traffic rather then monitor a satellite
based system. They need them young to get years of work
before work and age takes their toll.