Hi Redtail
There is a shortage of qualified, skilled labour in the UK too, and it is directly as a result of lack of investment in training that has been going on for decades. Traditionally the big airlines and maintenance organizations have relied on people leaving the forces to fill the gaps, but with the peace dividend there are not the people around who have sufficient aero maintenance experience. There have been a lot of small operations that have blossomed and grown, and traditional operators, all of which have expanded their fleet. But true to form, the lowley Techie who never gets seen gets forgotten. Management expect us to work harder, and be 'multi skilled' but eventually something has to burst, so somebody interested in a career in aviation usually overlooks maintenance as an option, usually because of poor pay. But look on the bright side, you and I will never be out of work! Recently my lad was asking my opinion of career choice after school. I asked if he wanted to follow in my footsteps, and he wondered if I would be offended if I said 'No'. I was actually quite relieved. For me the fun has gone out of aircraft maintenance as a career because of financial constraints being placed by people who don't know our business.