Airways' ground-breaking programme enhances ATC recruitment accuracy

electing the right candidates for ATC training is one of the foremost concerns of the aviation industry – and an innovative ATC recruitment programme pioneered by Airways New Zealand is proving to be critical to ab-initio training success.

Airways recently addressed aviation professionals from around the globe about its Sure Select ATC recruitment and selection programme, which takes the uncertainty out of ATC recruitment and achieves consistently high success rates for ab-initio trainees.

Kelly de Lambert, Airways’ Academic Quality Manager, was a keynote speaker at the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals conference held in Bali, Indonesia last month. She updated delegates about Sure Select, which is a competency-based approach for recruitment and training used by ANSPs throughout Asia, the Middle East, and around the world.

“Airways designed Sure Select after considerable research and development into this field. Our programme allows ANSPs to train air traffic controllers faster and better, by providing the right people, with the right training, in the right environment,” she says.

“Supported now by our ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS certification, we are assisting ANSPs around the globe to recruit and train ATCs of the highest calibre,” says Ms de Lambert.

Airways’ ATC recruitment and training is a true success story. With high achievement rates and quality graduates, training of ATCs through Airways is more cost-effective than through most other training programmes.

Sure Select uses multiple selection methods, processes and testing tools to screen large numbers of applicants down to a small selection of high quality candidates, and then narrows this group down through tests and interviews.  Finally, the best candidates participate in a full day of practical exercises, so ANSPs can attain a full appreciation of the potential and risks of each student. 

Airways officially certified by ICAO and New Zealand Government

At the NGAP conference, Ms de Lambert was also presented with the ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Associate Member certification on behalf of Airways. 

Airways is the only training provider in Australasia to be awarded this prestigious certification, providing an official stamp of quality assurance for Airways’ air traffic services training from the global civil aviation organisation.

Airways Training Centre has also been given the highest possible rating, ‘highly confident’, by the New Zealand Government’s Qualifications Authority, which is an exceptional achievement for a New Zealand training institution.

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