FAA STAFFING: RECRUITMENT, HIRING, AND INITIAL TRAINING OF SAFETY-RELATED PERSONNEL

At the request of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, House Committee on Public Works and Transportation, the General Accounting Office examined, among other things, (1) whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is meeting its staffing goals for fiscal year 1988 and (2) current recruitment, hiring, and initial training processes for these work forces, and problems with these processes. Briefly, it was found that FAA expects to meet its inspector and maintenance staffing targets for fiscal year 1988 but will not meet its mandated goal for full performance controller staffing. FAA is attracting fewer high quality controller candidates than in the past, and training losses are affecting the agency's ability to meet staffing goals. FAA does not have a national recruitment policy other than meeting staffing targets designated by the Congress. FAA's current recruitment process relies on individual regions, is not centrally coordinated, and is not targeted towards those candidates most likely to succeed as air traffic controllers. FAA is experiencing more trainee attrition at its busiest facilities than at lower level facilities. Better field placement of FAA Academy graduates could help reduce this attrition by matching a graduate's demonstrated performance level with a facility's air traffic activity. FAA intends to implement proposals that would significantly change its controller training program.

• Record URL:
  http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&rptno=RCED-88-189
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report to Congressional Requesters.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1988-9

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 53 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic controllers; Hiring policies; Inspectors; Maintenance personnel; Recruiting; Selection and appointment; Strategic planning; Training; Turnover; Workforce
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Attrition
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Education and Training; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00491212
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/RCED-88-189
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 28 1990 12:00AM