Sec. Duffy says the FAA has reached 94% of its staffing goal for air traffic controllers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says USDOT has reached 94% of its hiring goal for air traffic controllers by reaching out to video game enthusiasts on X, reports Chris Morris in Fast Company. However, the Federal Aviation Administration also reduced its staffing target from 14,633 to 12,563.
"More than 2,000 people have been hired, he said, with candidates 'reaching the Academy quicker than any class before them,' Morris adds." The new recruits will undergo two years of training before they can take on the job, and just 2% of applicants typically complete the training process.
According to Morris, "The substantial number of hires is also raising eyebrows because, traditionally, less than 10% of applicants are accepted into the training program, according to the FAA. The higher acceptance figures could be because of the new fully automated qualification process the FAA adopted last year."
Read the full story: The Transportation Department is recruiting gamers to solve its air traffic controller shortage
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