As time passes, people get older and retire, so accordingly companies need new specialists in their fields of work. Worried by the high number of veteran air traffic controllers who are hitting retirement age, the Federal Aviation Administration is busy recruiting, among other places, in high schools.

The FAA has also begun its recruitment efforts through online ads, like My Space, because of a severe staffing shortage and lack of experience among workers at its air-control towers.

As GADLING reports, the feds are even offering more than $100,000 in signing bonuses to newbies to draw them to the New York area’s five understaffed radar centers. They will immediately after the three month training period become staff.

Recently, there has already been one controller selected–a 20-year-old man with a bachelor’s degree in air-traffic control. But it’s not necessary for all new hires to have diplomas. They can be accepted straight out of 12th grade.

According to the New York Post, the new hires have already accepted the FAA bonus offers.

The new air-traffic-control hires “are a welcome edition to the TRACON staff,” said FAA spokesman Jim Peters, referring to the TRACONs in New York and New Jersey.

Photo:© beratus