Where do you start,
The whole A & C avionics thing goes back a long way, initially in the RAF there were 5 avionic trades and the engine and airframe. This was mirrored some what in the BCAR system of licencing. People tended to go for both A & C licences or Electrics Instrument s and Autopilot combined (multi X) then on the fringe was the strange bunch the Radio/Radar guys. If you now want your JAR66 B2 license you have in BCAR terms got to take the equivelant of 5 licenses to be avionic or 3 if you want to be a knuckle dragger!
This put a lot of people off and still does. Because there are relatively few Avionics to A & C guys about, there would seem to be a shortage, but i'm not so sure. On the other hand, a lot of line stations do not employ avionics at all and run with A & C with a limited avionics cover. This limits job vacancies on that front.
I'm not sure what you're thoughts are, some would say A & C is easier than Avionics, but if you plan on making a career out of it, don't make you're mind up on the back of that. I enjoy the scope of avionics and I would make you're mind up on the back of what would interest you. There are a lot of obsticles in your way. The old chestnut "you can't get a job without experience, you can't get experience without a job" really applies in this one. Wages are slowly creeping up but getting you're foot in the door is going to be tough. I'm not sure of any body taking people off the street, they all seem to be going to college for 3 years or getting apprenticeships but these are getting very few and far between.
Its not a bad job, it has its good and bad points , but so do all. Best thing to do is see if you can get some work experience and make you're mind up on the back of that....
[This message has been edited by Diablo (edited 13 February 2001).]