Switzerland, Canton Ticino, Lugano, Agno Airport, control tower. (Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A new campaign targeting gamers that urged them to put down their console or PC controller and start controlling air traffic has met with smashing success, according to numbers from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The backstory:
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation celebrated more than 10,000 qualified candidates applying for a career as an air traffic controller during a 24-hour application window, saying that more than doubled its previous first-day record.
By the numbers:
On Monday, Duffy marked the outcome of that recruiting period, saying that more than 2,000 people were hired and 94% of the agency’s hiring goal has been met. He noted that is both a record number of hires and the fastest time DOT has reached that hiring percentage.
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What they're saying:
"In April, we launched a NEW CAMPAIGN to recruit video gamers as air traffic controllers — and supercharged the entire hiring process to get the BEST & BRIGHTEST in faster," Duffy wrote in a post. "The results are HISTORIC ✈️"
Dig deeper:
In its April statement, the Transportation Department described the strategy to focus on gamers as potential air traffic controllers as a "one-of-a-kind recruitment initiative." The agency explained that gamers tend to have high cognitive functions and spatial awareness, as well as multitasking, strategic, and problem-solving abilities.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Department of Transportation. This story was reported from Orlando.