US Wants Gamers to Become Air Traffic Controllers

B1 –  Intermediate 

There is a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. The FAA in the USA is recruiting gamers to become air traffic controllers.

The FAA thinks gamers may have useful skills. Officials want more young people to apply.

Read the article about USA’s FAA recruiting gamers to become air traffic controllers.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2604/260413-air-traffic-controller-gaming.html

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “recruitment campaign” mean in this context, “The USA’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched a recruitment campaign aimed at gamers.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
2. What is a “candidate pool”? “Our union welcomes innovative approaches to expanding the candidate pool, including outreach to individuals with high-level skills, such as gamers, so long as all pathways maintain the rigorous standards required of this safety-critical profession.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym. 
3. What is a “tagline”? “The tagline is explicitly aimed at gamers.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about FAA trying to recruit gamers as air traffic controllers?
2. What skills from gaming might help in this job?
3. Do you think gamers are a good fit for this job? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the job of being an air traffic controller?
5. Why do you think there is a shortage of air traffic controllers in America? Is it the same situation in your country? Talk about it.