As a B1 unrestricted EASA 66 Licence holder, given the choice now, I would go the degree route (in fact I'd probably look at doing something completely different).
Why? pissed off working in the middle of the night in the rain changing wheels, because someone who had previously change the brake metering valve neglected to adjust it to prevent the a/c landing with the brakes already partially applied, 747, so there was more than a couple to change.
And jobs like this
klmuk offering a paltry 24k.
In general in the EU, thanks to someone in EASA, because there are not enough qualified experienced LAE's, instead they are trying to devalue and deskilled the whole industry.
So in a nutshell, unappreciated, undermined, undervalued, overworked, underpaid, the necessary evil that nobody wants or appreciates until the proverbial hits the fan etc etc etc.
Use your time to get a qualification in something else. Hope that helps, just my opinion of course.
