The US Federal Aviation Administration is turning to gamers to plug a gap in a national shortage of air traffic controllers.
A teaser, which kicks off with the Xbox One logo for some reason, opens with a number of victorious esports gamer clips, and then invites anyone who wants to “keep millions of people safe everyday” while “mak[ing] a lot a money” to get in touch.
You can see the full ad in its glory, complete with its tagline “It’s not a game, it’s a career” and obnoxious musical accompaniment, below:
“Are you up for the challenge?” the description says. “Start your career as an Air Traffic Controller and help keep millions of people safe every day.” Players are invited to “level up” on 17th April.
“To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, as reported by the NYT, adding that the department hopes to “tap into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller”.
Aerospace consultant Michael O’Donnell, who previously worked as a senior F.A.A. official, was less enthused, adding: “When you bring on someone who has gaming experience, particularly with air traffic control, they have an edge up. They’re coming in with a skill set. But it doesn’t replace aptitude, or discipline, or decision making under pressure.”
