Page 12 - ATC Special Bulletin Series - Training & Simulation 2022-01

1 1 2 2 SKYGUIDE ATC NETWORK AIRWAYS trainees was seriously affected. As the crisis continued it was decided to cancel some training slots, and to allocate already hired candidates temporarily to other business processes, where staffing budgets had been cut. We are currently encountering some difficulties recruiting candidates in the French speaking part of Switzerland. If this is due to COVID is hard to say as we traditionally have had a harder time there than in the rest of Switzerland. QUESTION 2 Were you able to introduce any new training methods during the COVID-19 crisis and are you continuing to use these practices? As Covid-19 began to wreak havoc across the globe, with no certainty as to when travel and border restrictions would lift, we challenged ourselves to transform our training business so we could deliver our courses remotely and meet the changing needs of our customers. In December 2020 we launched the Airways Knowledge Online (AKO) Virtual Academy to enable aviation students across the globe to engage and learn remotely in a virtual classroom environment. Since AKO’s launch we have developed a range of aviation courses accessible via AKO, utilising the latest cloud- based digital learning and engagement technologies – courses that can be delivered virtually by an instructor, can be accessed via students in their own time and at their own pace. We have also boosted the volume our AirBooks interactive e-learning resources from 24 to 54 books to support our range of AKO courses. Now, more than 18 months on, AKO is in use by ANSPs globally as they embrace the new normal for training in this post Covid-19 environment, and our AKO course offerings are expanding to meet demand. Already before the COVID-19 crisis, DFS had some remote ab initio training capabilities in place. During the shutdown, classroom sessions have been executed online by respective tools wherever possible. Online and remote simulation training have been increasingly used and new tools have been deployed, such as the cloud-based ATM simulator NEWSIMweb, which ab initio trainees can use to practice from home Regarding the on-the-job-training, we additionally offered selected refresher online courses within the framework of pandemic hygiene and health measurements. DFS © iStock | SPECIAL BULLETIN SERIES | 2022 | |