BBC: Great at gaming? US air traffic control wants you to apply

[SheltieLover]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce84rvx0e6do

People adept at video games should consider taking jobs as air traffic controllers, the US government has said, as it tries to address a shortage of workers in the sector.

Snip

"You've been training for this," the ad says.

The ad also highlights the salary on offer to controllers, saying it is $155,000 (£115,000) after three years of work.

US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement that the FAA had to adapt in order to reach the next generation of air traffic controllers.

++++++

What could possibly go wrong?

Think twice before flying imo.

[jls4561]

1. Back in the day, I got pretty good at Angry Birds. Does this qualify me to manage complicated flight patterns?

[SheltieLover]

2. Probably not.

[jls4561]

6. How about operating those space lasers to keep our country safe from party balloons 🎈?

[SheltieLover]

7. Nah, that wouldn't qualify either, imo. LOL

WTH are they still allowing party balloons to be filled with helium when there is a finite supply of it and it's needed for many medical and military uses?

[jls4561]

10. Well, how about this? Since I have extensive experience toppling mean piggies and their various structures,

After the main orange piggy is gone, I could help with the demolition of tacky Drumph hideousness in DC.

I think, with a little practice, I could remove the offending letters from the Kennedy Center without damaging the existing building, and land a big “T” right on Ric Grenell’s noggin.

[SheltieLover]

12. Sounds good to me!

[tanyev]

3. Wait, what happened to blaming video games for all the school shootings?

🤨

[dalton99a]

4. "Run! Go faster! Kill! Level up!"

[malaise]

5. WTF!

A kakistocracy on steroids

[milestogo]

8. I thought the Department of War was getting all those people.

[MineralMan]

9. I'll bet they haven't met many hard-core gamers.

Just saying...

[eShirl]

11. South Park S10E8: "Make Love, Not Warcraft"

https://southpark.cc.com/episodes/hk2x6r/south-park-make-love-not-warcraft-season-10-ep-8

from Wikipedia:

"Make Love, Not Warcraft" is the eighth episode in the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park.[1] The 147th episode overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 4, 2006. In the episode, named in a play on words after the 1960s counterculture slogan "Make love, not war", Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny enjoy playing the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. When a high-level player goes around killing other players in the game, they start playing the game every day to try to stop him. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. In 2015, he and co-creator Matt Stone listed it as their third-favorite episode of the series.

The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising its lampooning of nerd culture and use of machinima. It is considered by many fans and critics as one of the best episodes of the series. The episode additionally went on to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one hour), becoming the first machinima work to win an Emmy.[2]

[xmas74]

13. Most gamers? No.

But a few might actually be decent at it. Encourage them to go in for testing and see if any of them might pass. No reduction on testing just to get butts in seats- quality testing that includes spacial awareness, a physical and psychological testing.

I actually knew someone who was a 9-1-1 dispatcher when I was and he was a huge gamer. Right after 9-11 he made a comment about how he thought he could be an air traffic controller. He passed all the exams, the multiple interviews and the training. He's been one now for over 20 years and he's good at it.

As long as they aren't dumbing down qualifications I'm fine with them recruiting gamers.

[SheltieLover]

14. Yes, some of them might have the qualifications, but repukes not dumbing down qualifications is but a dream.

Glad it worked out for your friend.

[xmas74]

16. That's the only thing i worry about.

My daughter is Gen Z and had no idea how much an ATC could make. She said she's never heard about anyone in her age group mention it as a great paying job. This makes me wonder if we aren't missing out on some great candidates.

Honestly? They should be sending people to high school and community college career fairs. Emphasize the good money and benefits but also be absolutely up front about it being a career not everyone can do. There are probably some excellent candidates in rural schools, inner city schools and at JuCos across the US who have no idea what they do or how to become an ATC.

[SheltieLover]

17. But if they recruited at HSs & colleges, they might get "elitists," you know, literate people.

That alone would send magats rushing around with their hair on fire...

I agree with you! But, let's face it, the regieme is not too bright.

[fujiyamasan]

15. This is an area that will need to find a new generation of workers

And sure, that includes gamers. Some skills may even overlap.

More importantly than being “into gaming” is they have the right qualifications, can pass the required exams, and other required background checks and psychological screenings.

But as with everything with this administration, that’s not likely what they’re trying to do. They need to further their own social agenda of affirmative actions for incels.