Trump Admin Calls On Gamers To Become Air Traffic Controllers

The Trump administration is calling on young adult gamers to join the federal workforce and become air traffic controllers as the country seeks to improve its air travel.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled a new campaign on Friday morning through social media, targeting those who play video games as part of a push to fill thousands of open spots for air traffic control. It comes as the agency opens its annual air traffic control hiring window at midnight on April 17.

“To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt. This campaign’s innovative communication style and focus on gaming taps into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.

A one-minute video released Friday on YouTube directly called on young adults who played video games to consider applying in the program. The video shows clips of eSports gamers and clips of trainees working in air traffic controller towers.

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Air traffic controllers do not require a college degree, according to the DOT. The agency also said that exit interviews suggested controllers cited gaming as an influence on their skillset on the job.

“Safety is the FAA’s top priority, and that starts with hiring top talent and equipping them with world-class tools,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told the DCNF in a statement. “We need the best people, the best training, and the best tools because we expect the best results.”