Puppy Mills

[SeptRepair]

I was wondering how the maintenance schools have been holding out? No secret the schools like BCIT have a heavy foreign content to enrollment, so a lot of the spots go to those who pay the full cost of tuition. With the pandemic and travel being severely curbed, what's the enrollment been like? The reason i ask, is because i have been working with a newer engineer ( graduated 2015) and we got on the topic of his class and how many stuck with aviation. He said there were only 8 in his class of which 2 dropped out before they finished. He wasn't sure of where the rest of his classmates ended up. I find it hard to believe the class sizes are that small? How many classes are running at any given time? How many puppies are being raised yearly? If this kid isnt bullshitting me, then we have a serious problem in the next few years. With this downturn and the complete decimation of our industry, who in their right mind would think of aircraft maintenance as a career? I know i sure don't recommend this industry to anybody up and coming.

[Heliian]

Still tons of maintenance jobs in Canada. There is a shortage.

Class sizes are down and bcit has had a rough go altogether but I don't think there's a problem yet.

Aircraft will need caretakers for the foreseeable future.

[PitchLink]

I was wondering how the maintenance schools have been holding out? No secret the schools like BCIT have a heavy foreign content to enrollment, so a lot of the spots go to those who pay the full cost of tuition. With the pandemic and travel being severely curbed, what's the enrollment been like? The reason i ask, is because i have been working with a newer engineer ( graduated 2015) and we got on the topic of his class and how many stuck with aviation. He said there were only 8 in his class of which 2 dropped out before they finished. He wasn't sure of where the rest of his classmates ended up. I find it hard to believe the class sizes are that small? How many classes are running at any given time? How many puppies are being raised yearly? If this kid isnt bullshitting me, then we have a serious problem in the next few years. With this downturn and the complete decimation of our industry, who in their right mind would think of aircraft maintenance as a career? I know i sure don't recommend this industry to anybody up and coming.

It’s a continuing trend, more and more the attendance rate is decreasing. It’s due to many factors, NLC had a lower attendance than normal from what I’ve heard for the last couple years and like you said, more and more international students and many have no interest in the career it would seem. It’s probably for the best right now as the market is flooded with out of work ames and pilots, this is going to take several years to sort out for Canada to have any kind of upswing in flying pre Covid-19 levels. I agree I wouldn’t recommend this garbage to anyone including my worst enemy even before the pandemic. Hopefully it’ll flush out some more garbage bottom feeding companies that have had forks in them for years. I’m in helicopters it’s been a bad shake for a while in Canada (over a decade). I feel sorry for anyone that only has this as a means of income.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Still tons of maintenance jobs in Canada. There is a shortage.

Class sizes are down and bcit has had a rough go altogether but I don't think there's a problem yet.

Aircraft will need caretakers for the foreseeable future.

I agree, the industry is flooded with unemployed ames and pilots right now. Airlines won’t be back for years, we will see where things are at when the dust settles. Somethings definitely up with the governments agenda with airlines, I don’t think whatever it is will do any favours to the demand and workforce. Helicopters are helicopters, corporate is corporate they are both affected as well. The one area that seems to be not drowning is GA & flight training.

[Heliian]

Still tons of maintenance jobs in Canada. There is a shortage.

Class sizes are down and bcit has had a rough go altogether but I don't think there's a problem yet.

Aircraft will need caretakers for the foreseeable future.

I agree, the industry is flooded with unemployed ames and pilots right now. Airlines won’t be back for years, we will see where things are at when the dust settles. Somethings definitely up with the governments agenda with airlines, I don’t think whatever it is will do any favours to the demand and workforce. Helicopters are helicopters, corporate is corporate they are both affected as well. The one area that seems to be not drowning is GA & flight training.

There is a shortage of AMEs and apprentices. just look here : http://avcanada.ca/forums2/viewforum.php?f=7

It's been short for over a decade and will be even worse when the airlines pick back up.

There are literally ZERO unemployed engineers out there.

There is a big world beyond the airlines.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Still tons of maintenance jobs in Canada. There is a shortage.

Class sizes are down and bcit has had a rough go altogether but I don't think there's a problem yet.

Aircraft will need caretakers for the foreseeable future.

I agree, the industry is flooded with unemployed ames and pilots right now. Airlines won’t be back for years, we will see where things are at when the dust settles. Somethings definitely up with the governments agenda with airlines, I don’t think whatever it is will do any favours to the demand and workforce. Helicopters are helicopters, corporate is corporate they are both affected as well. The one area that seems to be not drowning is GA & flight training.

There is a shortage of AMEs and apprentices. just look here : http://avcanada.ca/forums2/viewforum.php?f=7

It's been short for over a decade and will be even worse when the airlines pick back up.

There are literally ZERO unemployed engineers out there.

There is a big world beyond the airlines.

I did look, and LOL ! replace ZERO with SEVERAL. Those jobs are what you call a shortage I call industry despair. There’s plenty of AME’s there is no shortage. That thread you linked is Mostly apprentice and contract positions, one of them said something along the lines of “remuneration in line with industry standards”. “INDUSTRY STANDARDS” that’s oxymoronic in Canadian aviation, the only standards are a lack of standards. I love how the wages are rarely published and when they are it’s beyond laughable.
Everyone is crying shortage of pilots and ames “huh what?!” And a quick review of the jobs and pay speaks as to why. I have two neighbours that I recently learned are AME’s like myself. Would have never known had I not been approached about fencing on my property and talked shop when he saw my old eurocopter hat.
Neither active in the industry both making way more and home every night working real jobs. They have licences, and aren’t using them, both well over ten years experience, why is that? This industry needs to take a good look in the mirror and recognize the real problem.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

I was wondering how the maintenance schools have been holding out? No secret the schools like BCIT have a heavy foreign content to enrollment, so a lot of the spots go to those who pay the full cost of tuition. With the pandemic and travel being severely curbed, what's the enrollment been like? The reason i ask, is because i have been working with a newer engineer ( graduated 2015) and we got on the topic of his class and how many stuck with aviation. He said there were only 8 in his class of which 2 dropped out before they finished. He wasn't sure of where the rest of his classmates ended up. I find it hard to believe the class sizes are that small? How many classes are running at any given time? How many puppies are being raised yearly? If this kid isnt bullshitting me, then we have a serious problem in the next few years. With this downturn and the complete decimation of our industry, who in their right mind would think of aircraft maintenance as a career? I know i sure don't recommend this industry to anybody up and coming.

I agree about all except that we have a problem. The INDUSTRY HAS THE PROBLEM it always has and always will with the old farts keeping wages from the 80’s relevant in 2021. I love when people find out what I do and the magic immediately fades when I explain the responsibilities, lack of schedule or home life, explain (AIDS) and then talk wages and they can’t believe it. I explain there’s a reason I’m a hired gun and have my own company. I see new licences being fire-hosed with the coolaide at any operator in Canada every spring about their “INDUSTRY STANDARDS” and the great circle of crap is complete. There has to be some way to police the rates and wages if this INDUSTRY is ever going to be a normal career with fair remuneration for anyone.

[littleboyblue]

"old farts"?
well ok then, I'm an old fart but I made $170,000 last year as a contractor (that includes about $15,000 in untaxed per diems), 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week for 48 weeks (took 4 weeks holidays unpaid)

yes, I worked a lot and worked hard (as hard as an avionics AME can work which really isn't very hard physically). my home for the year was where I worked and my family was with me. our accommodations were covered by the contract which was extended twice. and we had a great experience. it was sometimes tough for our daughter but we made sure to pay close attention to her struggles. her mother was a constant for her and I was home every night for dinner.

some would say we sacrificed a lot but for us looking back the so called "sacrifice" was well worth the benefits ( kind of like what our government is telling us about our covid sacrifices).

why would anyone suggest others to stay away from these possibilities??

[littleboyblue]

I will say this about the aviation schools. the students are being sold a load of crap.
they don't know anything close to what they should after 2 years of schooling. avionics apprentices don't know the basics about choosing the correct connector tooling, which is the most basic of skills required IMO.

these shortcomings are the student's, the school's, and the industry's fault. they're all the lazy ones and to blame in not getting it right.

they all have a place to voice their opinions and make their demands but it's just easier to take that ridiculously high mark or give that ridiculously easy exam and offer countless re-writes or to not bother showing up at that advisory committee meeting and voice your concerns and demand results.

I was a teacher, on a PAC committee and an apprentice so I have seen it all. students today demand high marks for minimal work, schools give students every opportunity to graduate without accomplishing anything. most seem completely disinterested in learning anything except how to get a diploma without working for it. and the school's only concerns are to get more students going through and to make sure that they have "a good experience".

the "everyone gets a ribbon regardless of how they finish" mentality is rampant in the colleges now and it is sickening. it's precisely why this "old fart" is still making what I make with my sore joints and blind eyes.

don't you think that someone half my age with half of my knowledge would be worth half of what I make for half of the time that I work? it's simple math really...

[North Shore]

LOL^ Nothing new under the sun...old farts have been saying the same about young whippersnappers for literally forever..and yet, we still muddle along..

[Bug_Stomper_01]

LOL^ Nothing new under the sun...old farts have been saying the same about young whippersnappers for literally forever..and yet, we still muddle along..

I wasn’t referring to the workers, I was referring to the white hairs in ownership/management. And yes muddle is at best what we do lol