Why ATC training success starts with selection
James Evans
General Manager Commercial
For many air navigation service providers, attracting and training enough air traffic controllers has become a growing operational challenge, shaped by rising air traffic demand, increasing airspace complexity, evolving technologies and workforce retirements.
Industry forecasts indicate that tens of thousands of new controllers will be needed globally in the coming years, placing significant pressure on recruitment and training pipelines.
However, increasing the number of ATC candidates entering the system is only part of the answer. As they attract more people into the training pipeline, ANSPs need to focus on identifying those people with the attributes most closely linked to succeed in ATC training, and then commence training designed around those same expectations.
ATC training is a major investment in future operational capability. When trainees don’t successfully complete training, the cost is felt in instructor time, simulator access and operational resources. The ATC selection process is the first opportunity to identify candidates who are more likely to progress successfully through training.
Where selection meets training
Strong ATC selection processes need to be specifically designed around the competencies and attributes that matter in training, such as cognitive ability, behavioural traits, communication skills, sound judgement and the ability to perform calmly under pressure.
Once high potential candidates have been identified, the next challenge is continuity. Training needs to build on the same attributes assessed at selection, so candidates are supported and measured against clear expectations from the start. We use this proven approach with Airways New Zealand, where selection is treated as the first step towards better training outcomes.
When people with the right attributes and competencies are selected, training and instructor resources can be used more effectively. Instructors are able to focus time and effort supporting and developing trainees with the attributes, aptitude and momentum that will result in successful outcomes.
Lessons from Airways New Zealand
Over more than three decades supporting Airways New Zealand, we have refined our approach by linking selection data with training outcomes, and continuously validating what works.
A key lesson has been the value of widening the candidate pool without lowering standards. Online testing and remote assessment have enabled Airways to reach more candidates, and then focus their in-person evaluations on those candidates who have already shown they have the core attributes needed for ATC training.
Airways International’s ATC-specific selection toolkit SureSelect has helped the New Zealand ANSP to achieve an average 95% ATC training success rate over the past 12 years. Developed with an evidence-based approach to selection and training, SureSelect brings this capability into a scalable online assessment platform.
The strongest results come when selection is treated as part of the training system, not as a separate recruitment step. The more clearly organisations understand what success looks like in training, the better equipped they are to assess for those attributes before training begins.
Turning insight into action
As training capacity tightens and the financial and operational cost of training failure rises, successful selection of the best ATC candidates is becoming a more critical requirement for ANSPs as they seek to maintain or increase their training pipeline.
Built on organisational psychology, validated competency frameworks and ATC specific assessment methods, SureSelect evaluates the cognitive and behavioural competencies linked to successful ATC performance. The platform supports efficient online assessment of large candidate pools and gives organisations a structured way to make evidence-based selection decisions.
For ANSPs managing high application volumes or looking to extend recruitment reach, SureSelect helps identify high potential candidates before significant investment is made in training. Selection teams gain a clear view of which candidates are most likely to progress once they enter the training environment.
The SureSelect approach is now being used by ANSPs globally as they look to strengthen workforce capability, improve training outcomes and make more efficient use of training and instructor capacity.
Training success starts before day one
There is no single answer to the global ATC workforce challenge. Expanding training capacity, investing in instructors, modernising training delivery and adopting new technologies all have a role to play.
Training success doesn’t begin on the first day of training. It starts with the decisions made at selection, the competencies organisations choose to assess, and how closely those decisions reflect the demands of ATC training.
For ANSPs looking to build a sustainable future controller workforce, smarter selection is one of the most practical levers available. It helps focus training investment where it can have the greatest impact – on candidates with the strongest potential to become operational controllers.
The ANSPs that will make the greatest progress won’t be those that process the most candidates. They will be the organisations that process the most appropriate candidates by understanding which attributes are most likely to result in successful outcomes, and building their selection and training systems around that insight.
About the author
James Evans
General Manager Commercial
In this role James leads the Airways International business, with responsibility for Airways’ global business activities including air traffic services training, simulation and selection, uncrewed traffic management, aeronautical information management and procedure design.
James has proven experience in leadership, strategic planning, and safety and risk management in the commercial aviation sector, in New Zealand and in the Middle East. In his prior role with Airways New Zealand, James headed up New Zealand’s domestic and Oceanic surveillance services, and helped to position Airways as an industry leader in the continuing delivery of safe, efficient and sustainable air traffic services.
