Air traffic controllers can skip FAA school by going to Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College will begin training air traffic controllers through a new program as part of a push to address an ongoing nationwide shortage that was highlighted during the government shutdown late last year.
The school had already offered some air traffic control courses, but those did not fully qualify students for jobs straight out of the program. A Thursday news release from the U.S. transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said that Sacramento City College will be the 10th school to adopt the Enhanced Air Traffic — Collegiate Training Initiative, which would allow eligible Sacramento City College students to go straight into the profession.
Most air traffic controllers must train at the Federal Aviation Administration Academy in Oklahoma City; the “enhanced” designation at the city college will let students complete all their training at the Sacramento campus. After passing final assessments, students who complete the program can go directly to air traffic control jobs without having to go to the Oklahoma school.
The nationwide shortage of controllers came into stark focus during the recent government shutdown, when many federal workers’ paychecks were halted. Controller staffs — many of which were already thin — were further strained by increased absences of controllers during the shutdown. Some staffing levels fell so low that flights were canceled, which had a domino effect at airports across the country.
Rep. Ami Bera’s office previously announced that Sacramento City College would be one of very few programs nationwide that train students for both tower and “en route” roles. En route air traffic controllers control aircraft at high altitudes in a given region, between takeoff and landing.
A representative for the Los Rios Community College District did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.
