As has been said many times on this forum, experience is everything in this game and to answer the original question, yes there is a shortage of well qualified and experienced LAE's .
For those starting out in the industry or making the transition from the military, expect a long but hopefully rewarding slog to attain the relevant type experience and company approvals. At the end of the day a license is nothing more than a piece of paper. Any reputable company is going to be looking very carefully at you as a person in conjunction with qualifications before allowing you to certify. The example quoted in a previous post of a newly licensed person being given an “instant” approval is a worrying example of how things can be “dumbed down” Any inexperienced LAE who is prepared to be put in this position needs to carefully remember his/her responsibilities (companies don’t give approval pay just to help you buy a flash car etc!!)
As for pay parity with pilots…..most B1/B2’s with a decent number of approvals should be earning at least what an experienced F/O earns in most UK airlines these days. Is it enough?....probably not (but unlike pilots, engineers have never managed to effectively act as group to enhance pay and conditions) This issue has never been helped by the fact that most bean-counter managers have a chip on their shoulder that most LAE’s earn more than them anyway!
Last edited by boeing_eng; 18th Nov 2011 at 22:42.