Recruiting young Emiratis into the ATC is a key area of growth – one that Dubai is nurturing, according to Dubai Tower Team Leader Thani Ahmad Al Thani.
He said: “We are getting a lot of interest from Emirati students.”
Several programs are in place to help bridge the divide between interested undergraduates and the ATC.
Air Traffic Controller Mohammad Al Shamsi said: “During the past two years, we have introduced new programs to recruit air traffic controllers, through Dubai World Central [the new airport at Jebel Ali]. They start there for a few years and then join us, at one of the busiest airports in the world.”
According to Al Shamsi, approximately 200 applicants apply for the position every year. While 12 candidates are shortlisted, only four go on to successfully become part of the team.
In order to ensure graduates are well equipped to deal with the high-stress job, Al Shamsi said special competencies are assessed. These include teambuilding, decision making skills, fluency in English and medical fitness.
The students also undergo various psychometric tests.
He said: “It is a tough process and we need many people to apply. We find that young people are not very aware of the profession in the university level, so we do visit and educate them, providing them more information when needed.”
Interested Emirati students can check the following website for details: www.dwc.ae
