Five Additional Colleges And Universities Open ATC Programs

Students considering a career as an air traffic controller now have additional choices as to where they might like to go to school. The FAA announced Monday that five new colleges and universities will be part of the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI). This is the third year the FAA has added schools to the AT-CTI program bringing the total number of schools participating to 36.

The FAA AT-CTI program was first established in 1990 at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. The program helps recruit candidates for terminal and en route air traffic controller positions.  Twenty-one institutions submitted applications early last year to join AT-CTI. The applications were evaluated based on the school’s organizational foundation and resources, organization credibility, air traffic basic curriculum and facilities.

The five schools joining the program are: Sacramento City College, (Sacramento, CA), Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics (Melbourne, FL), Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX), Western Michigan University (Battle Creek, MI), and Hesston College (Hesston, KS).

CTI institutions are not given federal funds to teach air traffic control courses, however the FAA does provide curriculum and instructor notes on air traffic basics. The institutions independently incorporate the material into their aviation programs. The AT-CTI curriculum provides appropriate education, experience, and training which meet the basic requirements for the terminal and en route air traffic occupations. As a result, AT-CTI graduates may be permitted to bypass the initial five-week air traffic basics training when they report to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.

No jobs are promised to students, but from fiscal years 2005 until 2009 over 3,000, or 41 percent, of the air traffic controllers hired graduated from an AT-CTI school.

FMI: www.faa.gov