FIR : YVR
Preference order: IFR only

Online Application Date: March 3/2016
Online application results: March 3/2016 (Green Light)

In person assessment invitation date: March 3/2016
In person assessment: March 16/2016
In person assessment result: March 23/2016 (Green Light)

Phone Interview invite: March 25/2016
Phone Interview: March 29/2016
Phone Results: April 3/2016 (Green Light)

In person interview invite: April 30/2016
In person Interview: July 11/2016
In person Results: July 20/2016 (Green Light - IFR)

Offer: PENDING
Training Date: PENDING

poseidon wrote:Well as long as my medical and references check out im on a VFR course in September!!!!





FIR : YYZ
Preference order: VFR, IFR, FSS

Online Application Date: December 03, 2014
Online application results: December 17, 2014 (Green Light)

In person assessment invitation date: October 05, 2015
In person assessment: October 21, 2015
In person assessment result: October 27, 2015 (Green Light)

Phone Interview invite: November 02, 2015
Phone Interview: November 06, 2015
Phone Results: November 07, 2015 (Green Light)

In person interview invite: May 09, 2016
In person Interview: June 23, 2016
In person Results: June 27, 2016 (Green Light - IFR)

Offer: July 18, 2016 - YYZ VFR
Training Date: September 12, 2016

Congratulations. It's interesting that you and the poster above (QK) are both starting in YYZ on Sept 12th but you are in VFR course and QK in IFR. Are you sure about the stream?
Looks like I'm out of luck for this fall (been in IFR stream since August 2015).

Yeah, i am positive about what i was streamed for - IFR, and the course that ive been placed on - VFR (I'm guessing because i said that is what i preferred during my in person interview) there is both an IFR and VFR course starting on Sept 12 at YYZ.

I thought the same thing as you so i PMd QK and he said he is on the IFR course

Both IFR and VFR classes are starting on September 12th. I was streamed IFR and was offered a choice between IFR and VFR when I received the call. Based on my preference I chose IFR.

Figured I would start mine now...

FIR : YEG
Preference order (FSS,VFR,IFR): IFR, VFR
Online Application Date: June 14, 2016
Online Application Green Light: June 14, 2016

In person assessment invite: July 11, 2016
In person assessment: July 21, 2016
In person assessment result: Green Light - August 4, 2016

Phone Interview invite: August 9, 2016
Phone Interview: August 14, 2016
Phone Interview result: Green light - August 15, 2016

In person interview invite: August 29, 2016
In person Interview: September 29,2016 (I can't recall)
In person interview result: Green Light - IFR Streamed. November 8, 2016

Training Offer: Stadby Offer - VFR : March 3, 2017

Course start date: May 23, 2017

Just remembered this thread from when I was going through the application process. The process can be long, but it is worth it if you make it.

FIR : YYZ
Preference order: VFR, IFR, FSS

Online Application Date: November 09, 2014
Online application results: November 09, 2014 (Green Light)

In person assessment invitation date: May 13, 2015
In person assessment: June 25, 2015
In person assessment result: July 08, 2015 (Green Light)

Phone Interview invite: July 10, 2015
Phone Interview: July 22, 2015
Phone Results: July 23, 2015 (Green Light)

In person interview invite: May 12, 2016
In person Interview: May 26, 2016
In person Results: May 31, 2016 (Green Light - IFR)

Offer: June 29, 2016 - YYZ IFR
Training Date: September 12, 2016

WT-SA wrote:Just remembered this thread from when I was going through the application process. The process can be long, but it is worth it if you make it.

FIR : YYZ
Preference order: VFR, IFR, FSS

Online Application Date: November 09, 2014
Online application results: November 09, 2014 (Green Light)

In person assessment invitation date: May 13, 2015
In person assessment: June 25, 2015
In person assessment result: July 08, 2015 (Green Light)

Phone Interview invite: July 10, 2015
Phone Interview: July 22, 2015
Phone Results: July 23, 2015 (Green Light)

In person interview invite: May 12, 2016
In person Interview: May 26, 2016
In person Results: May 31, 2016 (Green Light - IFR)

Offer: June 29, 2016 - YYZ IFR
Training Date: September 12, 2016

Congrats! Hope you're enjoying training!

FIR : YVR
Preference order: IFR, VFR

Employee Referral Program

Applied May 2016

Testing and Sim eval: Dec 5 2016
Results: Within a week. Invited to panel interview

Panel Interview: Jan 5 2017
Pooled: Jan 10 2017


Offer: Feb 24 2017 YVR-IFR
Training Date: May 1 2017

FIR: YEG
Preference: VFR, IFR

Employee Referral Program.

Applied: October 2016

Testing/Sim Eval: October 24th 2016
Results: Following week.

In Person Interview: November 18th 2016
Pooled: November 18th 2016

Offer: February 24th 2017 (VFR)
Course: May 23rd 2017

The employee referral program seems really unfair to me

thebigman111 wrote:The employee referral program seems really unfair to me

Yes, it does seem very unfair to those of us off the street. However, they have to do something to increase the suitability of applicants, since the ATC courses have a sub-50% success rate. Since no one in the world has obviously found a consistent way to measure who will be successful, it's only logical for NAV Canada to give "bonus points" to applicants referred by someone who's already doing the job, who presumably would be able to identify the soft attributes that may make a person successful.

yycatchopeful wrote:

thebigman111 wrote:The employee referral program seems really unfair to me

Yes, it does seem very unfair to those of us off the street. However, they have to do something to increase the suitability of applicants, since the ATC courses have a sub-50% success rate. Since no one in the world has obviously found a consistent way to measure who will be successful, it's only logical for NAV Canada to give "bonus points" to applicants referred by someone who's already doing the job, who presumably would be able to identify the soft attributes that may make a person successful.

Seems entirely like nepotism to me.

How would someone at all have any idea of who's best suited for a job, even if they work there, beyond what large scale personality and iq tests can determine?

They're more likely to refer friends that they have a good time with, that they like. Not because when they interact with their friends they're looking for the best suitable candidate to become an ATC.

from what I have been told,

the referred person still has to do tests and an in-person interview if they do well on the tests. Once they hit the final candidate pool, there is no more 'bonus' to being a referral candidate.

thebigman111 wrote:

yycatchopeful wrote:

thebigman111 wrote:The employee referral program seems really unfair to me

Yes, it does seem very unfair to those of us off the street. However, they have to do something to increase the suitability of applicants, since the ATC courses have a sub-50% success rate. Since no one in the world has obviously found a consistent way to measure who will be successful, it's only logical for NAV Canada to give "bonus points" to applicants referred by someone who's already doing the job, who presumably would be able to identify the soft attributes that may make a person successful.

Seems entirely like nepotism to me.

How would someone at all have any idea of who's best suited for a job, even if they work there, beyond what large scale personality and iq tests can determine?

They're more likely to refer friends that they have a good time with, that they like. Not because when they interact with their friends they're looking for the best suitable candidate to become an ATC.

I LOVE the bitterness in this post. It's tough to disagree that the process of applying is long, with little info, and with 0 guarantee of anything. That's just how it is tho.

Bobbert is 100% correct when it comes to the referral process. They still must complete testing, and an interview before even being considered for a course offer. However I've seen this happen in under 5 days from someone off the street to places on course.


This is my fav thing you said. "They're more likely to refer friends that they have a good time with, that they like."

That's a huge part/point of the referral program. A licensed controller who is willing to put their name out there to suggest a candidate who they feel will be suitable for training, along with having the right personality to fit into a control center's work environment. All at a cost of ZERO dollars to Nav.

It blows if it doesn't work out for you. Doesn't mean it isn't a solid program however

thebigman111 wrote:

yycatchopeful wrote:

thebigman111 wrote:The employee referral program seems really unfair to me

Yes, it does seem very unfair to those of us off the street. However, they have to do something to increase the suitability of applicants, since the ATC courses have a sub-50% success rate. Since no one in the world has obviously found a consistent way to measure who will be successful, it's only logical for NAV Canada to give "bonus points" to applicants referred by someone who's already doing the job, who presumably would be able to identify the soft attributes that may make a person successful.

Seems entirely like nepotism to me.

How would someone at all have any idea of who's best suited for a job, even if they work there, beyond what large scale personality and iq tests can determine?

They're more likely to refer friends that they have a good time with, that they like. Not because when they interact with their friends they're looking for the best suitable candidate to become an ATC.

My experience with the employee referral program thus far is that family members referred are below average, acquaintances and friends referred are above average. So I can conclude that family members are either blind to what attributes their family members have or purposely overlook them.

FIR : YVR
Preference order: IFR or VFR

Online Application Date: Apr 12/2016
Online application results: Apr 12/2016 (Green Light)

In person assessment invitation date: July 9/2016
In person assessment: Aug 11/2016
In person assessment result: Aug 23/2016 (Green Light)

Phone Interview invite: Sept 3/2016
Phone Interview: Sept 6/2016
Phone Results: Sept 8/2016 (Green Light)

In person simulator/interview invite: Nov 18/2016
Simulator Testing: Jan 9/2017
Simulator Testing Results: Jan 10/2017
In person Interview: Jan 19/2017
In person Results: Jan 24/2017

Offer: Standby (IFR) Feb 24/2017, training seat Mar 10/2017
Training Date: May 1/2017

Has anyone been through with the Employee Referral Program?

what are the in person assessments like?

FIR : YQM
Preference order : IFR, VFR, FSS
Online application date: 2016-06-27
Online Testing : 2016-07-05
Assessment Session Attendance: 2016-11-17
Assessment Session Results: 2016-12-01
Phone Interview Invite : 2016-12-07
Phone Interview : 2016-12-21
Second Round Interview Invite : 2017-10-04
Second Round Interview : 2017-10-23
Placed in pool : Streamed (on Take Charge website) VFR
Offer 1: 2017-12-22 (FSS)
Course Start Date: 2018-03-19
Offer 2 : 2018-01-09 (IFR) - Accepted (option to stay FSS)
Course Start date : 2018-03-12

what stream does Air Traffic Controller fall under - Flight Service Specialist? or instrument flight rules? or Flight information centre?