Is there an industry where the starting qualifications have not increased? Seems to me that the academic 'bar' is being continuously lifted. I think the primary reason is because it helps to create a wider range of qualifications, and in many ways allows the really industrious members of our community to rise up the academic hierachy in their field. Whether they are the most suitable persons for a particular position, outside of academia, is arguable.
I digress a little. In agricultural science - a PhD is the basic qual for most R&D positions, and it's because there are now enough people with them to allow selection. I see people in Canberra doing quite menial work, but for which a first degree was the level. It's been jokingly said that the now mythical tea lady would need a tertiary qual in CBR!
Why has this happened? My view is that it has everything to do with the huge numbers of students that Universities need to push through in order to qualify for funding and grants. Every PhD student is worth lots,(on completion), to a faculty...hence the drive to churn out more and more very well qualified people. Except for a very small number, most/many of these well qualified people spend their professional lives in boring jobs - because they're overqualified for the positions. This leads to job-hopping at the earliest possible - so the system is really self-defeating from an employers' viewpoint. But, it seems to have become entrenched.
I can see the same thing happening in aviation. The 1st filter in the selection process might eventually be +/- tertiary qual - not because it's essential to the job - but because it's possible. Next step it will be an MBA in 'aviation studies', and after that - a PhD could be possible. All new filters in the employment pipeline.
happy days,