Equipping Air Traffic Controllers with Key Skills for Success Using Coaching Model

Sealy Coaching and Performance (SCP) specializes in cultivating strong learning cultures within organizations. They work with NAV Canada, providing coaching to Air Traffic Controller (ATC) trainees who need additional support to achieve the mandatory ATC competencies.

The substantial resources invested in ATC training underscores the importance of maintaining high retention levels. It is a significant loss to NAV Canada if an ATC is unsuccessful, especially when they’ve completed a large portion of training. To address this, trainees who need support are assigned to an SCP coach. Together, they work on developing essential skills, like resilience, that equip trainees to master complex technical skills.

Recognizing the need for a consistent onboarding process with clear learning objectives and a structured approach, SCP partnered with AligneDesigns. The objective was to distil the coaching model to its core skills and reframe it into an educational training experience. The program would provide clear strategies to build non-technical skills and engage in reflective activities that empower ATC trainees to succeed in their technical training.

We started with a comprehensive needs and learner analysis to outline key goals for the project. To create a transformative learning experience, we identified the skills ATCs needed to take ownership of their training. Then we built the training using a coaching framework, offering opportunities for reflection, and just-in-time application of knowledge.

Since the learning experience was non-technical, it was outside of the learners’ comfort zone. Therefore, it was critical to include real-world examples, scenarios, and language that accurately reflected an ATC’s daily work.

It was also important that the ATC trainees felt that the learning experience was created expressly for them. This approach built trust and ensured buy-in, which is critical during the high-stress ATC training when trainees are pressed for time.

We created a training program that takes one hour a day over the course of five days. The learning experience empowers ATC trainees to learn transferable skills that will help them improve their technical skills. It follows a weekly schedule, guiding trainees through each skill using a consistent approach, with daily coaching support.

This approach offers crucial support to ATC trainees, teaching them how to reflect and strategically plan for personal growth. As a result, trainees are now successfully completing their on-the-job ATC training, which has significantly boosted NAV Canada’s trainee retention rates and safeguarded the company’s investment in their training.