Quicker certification and more inclusive hiring practices are some of the implications of the FAA's new 10-year staffing plan for US air traffic control applicants

Prospective US air traffic controller recruits will encounter significant differences in the way they are hired and trained, following the Federal Aviation Administration's announcement of a 10-year air traffic controller recruitment drive.

Around 12,500 controllers will be required over the next decade to offset a slew of retirements. Of the 15,000 controllers now employed by the FAA, 73% will become eligible for retirement by 2014.

This retirement wave is the result of the mass hiring of controllers in 1982-3, following the sacking of more than 10,000 controllers by President Ronald Reagan during a strike in 1981. Of roughly the same generation, these employees will become eligible for retirement at much the same time.

The FAA therefore proposes to hire more than 1,000 new controllers each year from 2006 to 2013, under a detailed workforce strategy.

"We will continue to operate the world's safest aviation system by being smarter and more efficient about our staffing needs," says FAA administrator Marion Blakey. "This plan is our blueprint to put the right number of controllers in the right place at the right time. It is good news for our controllers."

Educational institutions approved by the FAA, particularly the 13 Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools, will increase their intake to help meet the new hiring targets and the FAA will allow the general public to apply for some posts - at present, only those enrolled on approved courses and those with existing controller experience are eligible for recruitment.

CTI graduates previously had to apply to join the FAA within two years of graduation, but they will now be able to apply annually for a one-year extension of hiring eligibility. "We want to leave the door open as long as possible," says Blakey. "By extending the hiring period, we can tap a valuable source of potential new controllers and be fair to those who have already invested in their aviation careers."

Candidates above the FAA's maximum hiring age of 30 years with existing experience are also likely to be considered for recruitment as it attempts to meet the new targets.

Controller training processes at the FAA Academy, which all recruits must undergo, will be significantly streamlined, reducing the time it takes for trainees to achieve certification from three to five years to two to three years.

Flexible working initiatives will also be introduced, both to help retain existing staff as long as possible and attract new recruits. Part-time and job-sharing arrangements will be considered and split shifts introduced on a trial basis. Exceptions to the mandatory controller retirement age of 56 will also be considered to combat critical staffing shortages in certain areas.

Source: Flight International