Foundation training programme
Forecaster Foundation Training Programme (FFTP)
The FFTP is suitable for any organisation that employs forecasters for aviation (military or civil, conforming to the competencies as laid down in WMO-No.258, Fourth Edition) or public service work.
Aims
The course aims to equip the attendee with the skills and knowledge required to take up a post as an unsupervised forecaster.
Course contents
The course covers all aspects of theory and practice needed to forecast the weather, including:
- the equations of motion;
- ageostrophic motion;
- the omega equation;
- atmospheric thermodynamics;
- numerical weather prediction;
- synoptic, mesoscale and boundary-layer meteorology;
- remote sensing;
- clouds and precipitation;
- chart analysis;
- thermodynamic diagrams;
- non-numerical forecasting techniques;
- application of forecasting, i.e. to the general public.
Outcome
Attendees will be able to:
- demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge of meteorological theory;
- demonstrate an acceptable level of background forecasting knowledge;
- use guidance effectively as the basis of the forecast;
- interpret actual and forecast data correctly and identify the most relevant data for any given situation;
- produce weather forecasts consistent with the guidance and other relevant data;
- present forecast products to an acceptable standard and in the style required by customers;
- monitor the latest data — amending forecasts and issuing warnings when appropriate;
- be an effective member of an operational team.
Course structure
The full version of the programme currently involves an 18-week Initial Forecasting Course (IFC), followed by an on-the-job training phase and assessment of competence, which then leads to the trainee weather forecaster becoming qualified as an independent forecaster.
The final assessment of competence can be done in any way that the forecasting organisation in question deems suitable for their purposes. In the UK, the assessment is made against National Occupational Standards for forecasting. Help and advice on competence-based assessment of forecasters is available from the Met Office, on request.
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