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ATC Student Programme 2013 *Warning post 195*

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    #62
    urajoke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 722 ✭✭✭urajoke


    adamski8 wrote: »
    If you pass the exams and arent offered a job straight away can you work abroad with the qualification? And if so what if iaa offer you a job when you have taken another?

    That's why you read the contract VERY VERY carefully.

    Put it this way the IAA won't qualify you and NOT offer you a job without binding you to them in some way legally. Why would they spend as they claim €190,000 on you and not offer you a job. By the way it's no where near that amount they are fast and loose with figures. Remember a few years ago they claimed we were on massive salaries but now show the actual true figures as they have to and are not trying to sway the public against us.

    Many years ago they half trained controllers and then tried to dump them when 911 happened but were forced by the union to bring them back from South Africa where they dumped some and finish their training as at the time the contracts said they had to train them but now the contracts have changed hence why I'm telling you to read whatever is given to you very carefully before signing it.


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    #63
    Top Dog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,171 ✭✭✭Top Dog


    So here we go - 8.5 hours to close of applications.

    Is anyone taking the gamble this time and throwing their name into the hat?


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    #64
    paulmcgrath
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭paulmcgrath


    hat is in the ring


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    #65
    Top Dog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,171 ✭✭✭Top Dog


    Far cry from last time out. I'll be surprised if they get even a quarter of the number of applicants this time round with the new terms & conditions.


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    #66
    notharrypotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,112 ✭✭✭notharrypotter


    Best of luck to all who have applied


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    #67
    Macano31
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭Macano31


    Anyone hear how many applications were received this time?


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    #68
    Top Dog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,171 ✭✭✭Top Dog


    Macano31 wrote: »
    Anyone hear how many applications were received this time?
    Bit early yet I'd imagine for such information to be released.


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    #69
    irishbloke77
    Registered Users Posts: 630 ✭✭✭irishbloke77


    Top Dog wrote: »
    Far cry from last time out. I'll be surprised if they get even a quarter of the number of applicants this time round with the new terms & conditions.

    Wouldn't be too sure about that.

    Indeed, it will put a lot of people off applying if they have no income for 18-24 months.

    However, there are a lot of highly educated people out there these days who have no income anyhow through unemployment. Lets face it, when the 2 years training or so is over, the pay/conditions are pretty good.


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    #70
    Top Dog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,171 ✭✭✭Top Dog


    irishbloke77 wrote: »
    However, there are a lot of highly educated people out there these days who have no income anyhow through unemployment. Lets face it, when the 2 years training or so is over, the pay/conditions are pretty good.
    True - but at least you can get the dole when you're unemployed. This is 2 years with no income at all which is quite a feat to have to manage.

    And besides, a quarter is still over 1000 applications ;)


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    #71
    irishbloke77
    Registered Users Posts: 630 ✭✭✭irishbloke77


    Top Dog wrote: »
    True - but at least you can get the dole when you're unemployed. This is 2 years with no income at all which is quite a feat to have to manage.

    And besides, a quarter is still over 1000 applications ;)

    True, point well made.


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    #72
    adamski8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭adamski8


    I threw my hat in. Would love to do it but i dont think there is much chance of affording it, usless banks want to give me a massive unsecured loan. But anyway I want to see if I get offered a place and then deal with the impossible task of doing the programme.

    At least if I fail to get offered a place I wont ever wonder.


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    #73
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,772 ✭✭✭Bsal


    They might change their mind in the end, look at the Aer Lingus cadetship in the end Aer Lingus payed for all of it. Wishfull thinking though.


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    #74
    jackofalltrades
    Registered Users Posts: 3,253 ✭✭✭jackofalltrades


    adamski8 wrote: »
    I threw my hat in. Would love to do it but i dont think there is much chance of affording it, usless banks want to give me a massive unsecured loan. But anyway I want to see if I get offered a place and then deal with the impossible task of doing the programme.

    I wonder how many other people have taken a similar approach to this, given the low odds of getting offered a place.


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    #75
    adamski8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭adamski8


    jackofalltrades wrote: »
    I wonder how many other people have taken a similar approach to this, given the low odds of getting offered a place.

    Id say a few didnt read the fine print and didnt know it was unpaid too and just flippantly applied. Nothing to lose by going through the stages.


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    #76
    urajoke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 722 ✭✭✭urajoke


    I'm told only a few hundred applied for obvious reasons.


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    #77
    Macano31
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭Macano31


    urajoke wrote: »
    I'm told only a few hundred applied for obvious reasons.


    Thanks for the information, was the source a reliable one. Great news for all that did apply!!


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    #78
    the beerhunter
    Registered Users Posts: 119 ✭✭the beerhunter


    Macano31 wrote: »
    Great news for all that did apply!!

    not such great news for management who thunk they'd get the same number applying as last time out despite taking the piss with terms and conditions.

    smaller pool means some will get in who wouldn't have if money wasn't a factor, making a self-fulfilling prophecy ("no point paying them if we have to let them go") when people have to be cut before qualifying because they're not up to snuff.


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    #79
    urajoke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 722 ✭✭✭urajoke


    Macano31 wrote: »
    Thanks for the information, was the source a reliable one. Great news for all that did apply!!

    Yes.

    Means it will be a small class as the same standards should be applied meaning they should only be able to find about a dozen candidates good enough to get on the course and only half that who will qualify as an ATCO.


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    #80
    paulmcgrath
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭paulmcgrath


    2nd Round Emails out today.


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    #81
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,772 ✭✭✭Bsal


    I got my invite to the aptitude tests today. 0900 on the 16th.


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    #82
    TsarBomba
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭TsarBomba


    Bsal wrote: »
    I got my invite to the aptitude tests today. 0900 on the 16th.

    Me too. I'm not sure what to make of it really. I just saw the ad in the paper and applied but I really should have looked and saw that it's unpaid for 2 years and has a reduced salary. Thankfully I'm down for 4pm on the 16th. Is there any way of preparing for this test?


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    #83
    Contrails
    Registered Users Posts: 181 ✭✭Contrails


    I'm in on the 13th. Can honestly say i'm not much of a threat to anyone here though. My 'mechanical and numerical reasoning' leaves alot to be desired.

    No harm in giving it a bash though.


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    #84
    John_Mc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,791 ✭✭✭John_Mc


    TsarBomba wrote: »
    Me too. I'm not sure what to make of it really. I just saw the ad in the paper and applied but I really should have looked and saw that it's unpaid for 2 years and has a reduced salary. Thankfully I'm down for 4pm on the 16th. Is there any way of preparing for this test?

    They say you can't but you definitely can. I'd look up the basic leaving cert maths, area calculations etc. I hadn't done anything like that in 10 years so I did terrible in the test and didn't get through.

    I have a degree in computer science so I'm obviously ok at maths but not at stuff I haven't touched in 10 years :rolleyes:


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    #85
    A320
    Registered Users Posts: 708 ✭✭✭A320


    I applied a few years back and did the aptitude test,make sure you know fractions !! there was a good few calculations on +,-,x,/ on them! they threw me!


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    #86
    DazMarz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,493 ✭✭✭DazMarz


    I applied a good while back and got called back alright. Got the email today to go for the test at 09:00 on the 14th in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin.

    But looking through the thread, my heart is breaking slightly. I live in North Wicklow at the moment and I'm happy where I am. Obviously, there's no way I can commute every day. So it would necessitate moving down to Shannon/Limerick to be able to do the training.

    I was well prepared to uproot and move down, providing there was some kind of subsidy or if there was a "campus"-style training college where you had a room and there was a canteen or something.

    I do have a good bit of money saved up, but not near enough to support myself for 2 years where I cannot work part-time or where there is no subsidy. I would have to rent a room/apartment/bedsit or something. I can't imagine that will be all that cheap to do. There's also the small issue of the basic necessities of food. Then the other "necessities" (phone credit, diesel/petrol, laundry detergent, soap, etc.)

    I'd even be prepared to quit smoking (I don't drink or do drugs at all). But even that won't be enough.

    This is incredibly upsetting and is just driving it into the arms of the wealthy and/or people from near the area. Anyone from the Greater Dublin Area, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, Kildare and even Northern counties is totally precluded from this unless they're super-wealthy and have the guts of €25,000 lying around to fund themselves.

    I don't fancy the idea of giving up my life here, living in enforced poverty for 2 years, not being guaranteed a job (maybe) and being totally unfunded.

    I wouldn't have minded doing everything possible, but nobody in my family could/would sponsor me at all and I simply don't have enough money for it myself. So I'm screwed.

    I'm still going to go up to the test in Dublin, but I'll be asking a lot of questions and trying to get a definitive answer.

    I'm really gutted having just read through this thread and other sources on the subject. This is a job I would have loved to have had a crack at getting, but the way things are looking, it will be just impossible and unworkable. Unless I can get a big, unsecured bank loan. Though I do have a car and some other stuff to put as collateral, though I don't know if I want to risk everything and possibly give up 2 years of my life and not have anything to show for it at the end.

    Gutted... :(


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    #87
    GalwayGirl00
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭GalwayGirl00


    Is there anywhere we could get practice tests for this? hubby was called for the
    16th, but English isn't his first language so not getting our hopes up!


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    #88
    paulmcgrath
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭paulmcgrath


    GalwayGirl00 wrote: »
    Is there anywhere we could get practice tests for this? hubby was called for the
    16th, but English isn't his first language so not getting our hopes up!

    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Numerical%2C+Abstract+and+Mechanical+Reasoning+Practice+Aptitude+Tests


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    #89
    ADirtySock
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭ADirtySock


    Just got my email too. Wanted to be an ATC since I was a little kid but these rumors about no student pay are appalling. If I do get into the final training (which I doubt) I will have to make the decision if I want to leave my college degree for this. They aren't doing a good job on the PR front here.


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    #90
    paulmcgrath
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭paulmcgrath


    FWIW,

    Chances are about 3 in 200.

    And everyone who applied has been invited to this stage.


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    #91
    thegift06
    Registered Users Posts: 559 ✭✭✭thegift06


    paulmcgrath wrote: »
    FWIW,

    Chances are about 3 in 200.

    And everyone who applied has been invited to this stage.

    Ok so that means around 1666 people applied this time around.

    Was reading an article from 2010, where 4000+ applied. But the terms seemed much different back then.

    Here is a breakdown. They were given a yearly allowance for the two years of €18,506, whereas we are given nothing.

    There start salary was €50,508, whereas ours is about 30,000.

    So say you finish the course and are one year in the job, they would have earned (18,506+18,506+50,508) 87,520, whereas we will have earned just 30,000.

    Surely these terms need to be changed, if nobody agrees to the terms then they will be ****ed not us. People need to show that were not here to be walked all over. Ill go to the first round and see what is said about some sort of support for the 2 years of training, otherwise im gone


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