I expect the OJT to be very disorganized compared to regionals as it has been in the past. I expect the new hires to be either assigned one trainer until the feel ready to sign off or they will just be given a list of trainers and told to work 16 days a month. Thats how its been done in the past and how its being done now with dispatchers adding secondary qualifications. The contract gives you 18 months to get signed off but I think as in the past they will likely hold you to a year given the probationary period. You will get two completely different ways of doing the same thing. L-AA and L-US have similar tools to dispatching but vastly different approaches in some ways. It would be good to get both in training and decide which of both you prefer. DECS is an ancient system and AA goes very in depth into it. I think 4-6 months for sign off should be standard. New hires only get domestic qualified. The thing that could slow these new hires though is the large number being hired at once. Check dispatchers have a full schedule with recurrent comp checks so finding time to do 30 new hire ones could force some to spend longer in OJT than they might want to. The training department might also want the new hires to experience a DFW diversion event as that can be pretty challenging with dozens of radio calls at once.
First of all congrats to all who got selected. We on the floor will all be tickled pink to have you all join us. I do have some different feelings about the timeline from Flagship though.
1. If the training has been done the way LUS has done it in the past (There is a lot of LUS representation in the training department, but still a lot of LAA as well), the class training should last about a month and a half roughly. That would be one week of Indoc, one week of Sabre training, probably two weeks of AC systems training due to all the AC types on property (not sure if the initial type will be the 737 or the Airbus but my guess would be the Airbus based on the makeup of the training department), and two weeks of General Dispatch Subjects. Historically about 20 shifts of OJT has been sufficient for a new hire to become competent to work on his own. With the last three LUS classes that came through, everyone was signed off in about 3-4 months regardless of Sabre experience (save for the Feb 2014 class and that was because of a Union/Company dispute, not because the dispatchers weren't ready), and I expect that will be true with this class. There is no international training at all for this class, and that will cut the time from what has been normal on the LAA side in the past.
2. I disagree on the Check Dispatcher comment. Currently there are about 22 individuals who are qualified to give comp checks. There should be no problem finding time to get the new hires checked out. Furthermore, although it is 30 new people, keep in mind that only 15 will be in the July class, which would put them on track for an October signoff. The next class is a September class and will likely still be in the classroom when the July class is ready to be checked out.
3. Given these classes will not be in OJT until the fall or winter, good luck finding a DFW diversion event. I doubt this will be a requirement based on the current makeup of the training department.
4. One other potential complication is with the number of desk trainers. Management sent out an email asking who would be interested in providing OJT. A list was put together, but I haven't seen the list and I do not know how many people are actually on the list. If some of the people on the list hold other quals and get moved off domestic, this could complicate some OJT. But again, we don't know how OJT will be assigned. If it is done like it has been in the past, they will try to give the new hires time with several individuals in order to see many different approaches and allow the new hire to find what works best for him. If they tell the new hires to find people on their own, which seems to be the MO since the merger fences came down, who knows. My suggestion to any new hires reading this thread is to spend some time with LAA guys, and some time with LUS guys. LAA dispatchers tend to know Dispatch Auto better than LUS guys, and the LUS dispatchers tend to know LOFDS better than the LAA guys. Both programs are very useful IMO.
5. One last unknown is that many people in the training department only joined the training department this year. Many people in the department have little to no experience with teaching a new hire class since this is the first one since the new IOC opened. I will be curious to see how they do with this new hire class.
Again. Congrats to all who were selected. Can't wait for you guys to join us on the floor. And for those not selected, I am sure this will not be the last of the hiring that goes on at AA. My advice is apply again in the future, and keep sharp on everything. Maybe make a trip to the ADF summit at Love Field and network. There will probably be a few of us AA guys in attendance.
