Polk County Public Schools has unveiled a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control (ATC) simulator at its training center at Bartow Executive Airport — part of a workforce-aligned program through Traviss Technical College.
Why air traffic control? With a 60% Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) washout rate and a national shortage of air traffic controllers, Polk County — where nearly 5% of residents are unemployed — has launched a program to train students to keep the skies and their futures steady.
In a region where many jobs fall below a living wage, the program offers a rare path to stable, high-paying careers, with no college degree required.
“It used to be that you had to join the military or play the FAA lottery,” Randy Clayton, a Control Tower Operator instructor in the program, said. “There’s no substitute for what you get here.”
Not just the towers: Polk is now one of the few school systems in the country offering Air Traffic Control training with equipment also used by the FAA, according to David H. Wiggs, director of Traviss Technical College.
The program prepares students for jobs at Bartow, Lakeland Linder, and Winter Haven airports — or across the country.
Graduates aren’t limited to towers. They also can land jobs as emergency dispatchers, ramp controllers, flight service operators, and with CSX as train dispatchers, according to Randy Clayton.
“We’re not a theory program. We vet and prepare students so they can walk straight into towers and succeed,” Clayton said.
After 52 weeks, students leave with a Control Tower Operator certificate, weather certification, and, in many cases, direct experience in FAA pipeline roles.
“Nationally, we’re one of the few ATC schools with a tower,” said Clayton. “A lot of students never talk to a live pilot. Ours do, daily.”
Those students are in the actual tower alongside an instructor.
Live operations: Students alternate between simulations and live tower operations.
“You start off parroting what you hear,” said student Madison Gandy. “But now I’m actually talking to pilots — and understanding it.”
Students train in emergency and high-stress situations while learning FAA phraseology, timing and visual tracking.
“The experience can be overwhelming, but it prepares you,” said student Evgenii Viazovov.
What’s next for the program:
- A second simulator is coming soon, they say
- Remote digital tower tech is being added
- They’re adding an additional four screens to the first simulator
“We want this to get as big as it possibly can,” Randy Clayton said. “We’re building partnerships that can help fill the national gap — and training locals to do it.”
For students, the program entails:
- 10-month intensive training
- Daily tower time (2-4 hours)
- Starting postgraduate salaries of $80,000-$90,000
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
