Thread creep here!!!!!
FOK,
There are a number of other professional career paths out there, which require a great deal of commitment in both effort and finance. Law, Engineering, Medicine are all similar!
The differences between those and aviation, are established career paths which are well known and traditionally accepted. When you go off to Uni to get your degree and then continue to achieve your masters, you are well aware that you will get a placement in one of the associated professions, professional practices. After a few years of poor pay you know that if you’ve kept your nose clean and stayed aware from all of the partner’s daughters, you’ll be earning a good salary – equivalent to a jet F/O salary.
The biggest difference between these industries and ours is that the employers know that to get good quality employees, they have to invest in them with salaries and continued professional training.
Aviation seems to lack this savvy attitude towards retention. Instead, the industry looks to save pennies in training and all other parts of its business – T&C’s included. And at the moment, they have this liberty and will continue to until a serious accident occurs (have a read of the latest issue of “The Log” re. a cadet at Monarch), the world aviation market picks up or there is a serious lack of initial training. Manufacturers, maintenance and training providers all help with making it all as cheap as can be, just so that Johnny Fart Pants and his shell-suit clad ned pals can sit on seats. The latter is what it’s all about!
But the worst culprits are the employees! As soon as a better deal shows its cards, they are gone like the fly to the UV light! Heck, they will even pay to do the job and this is where it all goes wrong. The rest we all know about, because we are here reading these forums and flying the line!
What, in my opinion is needed to change this industry, is a change to the attitudes of the licensing authorities. But that is a whole separate conversation.
I say the above with some level of knowledge, having been a professionally qualified engineer for, well long enough!
FOK, I agree with almost most of what you say, but until the revolution comes…….
Back to thread…..
Thanks for the positive comments folks, they are well received!