US wants gamers to become air traffic controllers
The USA's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched a recruitment campaign aimed at gamers. The FAA wants them to consider becoming air traffic controllers. There is a shortage of workers in the sector, so the government hopes people skilled at gaming could fill the growing number of vacancies. The US currently needs at least 3,000 controllers. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said: "Our union welcomes innovative approaches to expanding the candidate pool, including outreach to individuals with high-level skills, such as gamers, so long as all pathways maintain the rigorous standards required of this safety-critical profession."
The recruitment drive has a video with an Xbox logo on it. The tag line is explicitly aimed at gamers. It says: "You've been training for this... Become an air traffic controller. It's not a game. It's a career." The promo adds: "You'll keep millions of people safe every year. And make a lot of money." The enticing salary is $155,000 a year. US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the country needs to tempt "a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller". Some current controllers have said gaming could be a useful skill. They said it had "an influence on their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity".
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