A319
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 174.2; Flight Crew Total 3290.05; Flight Crew Type 3290.05
Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Staffing; Human Factors; Procedure
Departing ZZZ. The Tug Driver reported ready for pushback and incorrectly asked me to release the parking brake in the same sentence. Looking at the ECAM screen; we noticed that the NW STRG DISC message was NOT displayed. I advised the Tug Driver of this and told him that the brakes were still set and that he needed to install the bypass pin. He replied 'O.K.; standby'. A few moments later he again reported ready to push but we still did not observe the NW STRG DISC message. He responded 'O.K.; hang on' and then I asked him whether or not he actually knew what I was referring to. He replied that he actually did not know what that was and that this was only the fourth push back that he had ever done. I asked him to get someone more seasoned out there to assist which he did. This other person got things set correctly and remained standing by for the push back procedure. It appears that the person driving the tug was either not trained; not trained properly; or simply was not at all paying attention while being trained. In any event he should not have been where he was doing the job he was supposed to be doing.
A319 Captain reported the Tug Driver at this location appeared untrained with regard to the pushback duties.