The USA mandate 1500hrs minimum for FO's, our spineless CAD sign off on 80 hours total time for guys and gals in the right hand seat. That's how "WE" get around the problem...
What pilot shortage? Problem now, a shortage of captains. We already have the blue print for how to fix that, lower the requirements. Oh wait we just did. CAD's response? Nothing. Who would have guessed?
'Pilot shortage" is just a convenient excuse to shed unprofitable routes, pure and simple. Market forces gents, the only problem for those of us in the cockpit is, we find the lowest possible level of experience/pay combination when the investigators are standing around a smoking hole wondering "how the hell did this happen?" There will be plenty of STC's and TC's that will be able to stand tall and say "We told you so!" CAD will need a deep hole to bury its head in at that point.
CAD - You have a chance to step up and stop folding to commercial pressure before its too late for an aircraft full of people. Companies have the luxury of calculating how many people they can kill and still open the doors the next day and survive until the next reporting quarter, CAD doesn't have to assess risk in that way, nor should they. Do your job and regulate in the interest of the traveling public, not in the interest of bull in the china shop.