Friends and family are continually amazed when I tell them that although I went to uni, only a small proportion of pilots hold a degree of any sort. Straight away there's one way of restoring a little bit of respect and pride in our profession in the public's eye.
TL, I share your sentiment, but very few others do.
Imagine if 75% or more of new pilots entering the job market held specialised aviation degrees (or even other degrees like engineering/business). Are they likely to be happy to accept unfair wages for something they are undoubtedly well qualified to do, having spent a lot of time and money in the process? I think not.
I also think not. And these same degree holders who have worked hard and spent $$ on education, are undercut by someone who hasn't spent as long or as much money on their own education.
We need to start an upwards trend to make our profession more proud and well respected and the increase in University degree holders could well be an option.
TL, I agree with everything you say - I just wish I was as optimistic as you.
For this to happen airlines needed to have recomended degrees 10-15 years ago when Aviation degrees first started appearing. They didn't care then and they don't care now. All an Aviation degree means is that you've spent more time, effort and money entering the 'profession'- (so maybe you'll stick at it longer or maybe you'll get jack of it sooner??)
Many Unis have shut down their Aviation degrees because they have realised that the industry gave no support for them. The industry did not want them. If you want to know why, look at some of the opinions in this thread.
So closed down degrees have been...UWS as mentioned. RMIT (who have one of the best Aerospace Engineering degrees in the country), the list goes on and on...sure some degrees were ordinary but most had some excellent points.
Will this change? Will it take not 10 or 15 years but 20 or 25 years to turn the wheel? Or is the verdict in? Degrees are finished.
