The mechanic shortage
 

Yep, short of A&P mechanics, pilots, and planes.

Nothing a little H1-B visa reform won't fix.

(Or, you know, industry trainee programs and higher wages. But that's crazy talk)

But how is this the fault of the government’s boot on the neck of the free market?

As I said in a couple other threads: PAY UP!

The shortage is even hitting majors now, and the industry is still 3-5 years from peak Mx retirements. I’ve been turning wrenches or have been in Mx management for 20 years, and I’m even trying to get out of it. That should say something about the state of the career currently.

Society and namely, aviation have never valued individuals that can troubleshoot and turn wrenches and have been treated as second (or third!) class citizens. All this and people are shocked to why people don’t enter the Mx field and stay (when Mx professionals have easily a transferable skill set that can be used where they are valued).

Let. It. Burn.

Well in general it's the fault of the government's running of the education system trying to funnel everyone in to a white collar college career track. Not everyone needs to go to college.

Thats true but as a parent I’m not going to push my kids toward a field where I know they are undervalued when I can push them toward college and take the chance they will find a solid career. Maybe they go to college and become a barista. That’s a risk no doubt but maybe find their way into a very well paying career. Push them into an aircraft mechanic track and they are guaranteed a life of working nights and low pay and retirement. When they start paying mechanics $200k+ I will start guiding them in that direction.

A&Ps are actually not undervalued, they are just undervalued by the aviation industry.

A&P's can make pretty good money at the Toyota dealership, and that's one of the reasons there's a shortage (in aviation).

A&P track would not be a waste, you'll get paid to maintain something, and someday aviation might even pay well and you can work on airplanes, instead of ford ecoboost, HVAC, etc.

I don't strictly blame .gov for the college/white-collar push, society and parents are more to blame. Gov enabled it financially. We also have this thing where young "men" are raised to be subservient soy-boys. Blue collar/trade work requires some degree of initiative, perseverance, and plain old fashioned grit... you also have to pas a drug test in many or most cases, and even get up before the sun on occasion.

The toyota dealership couldn't care less if the mechanic holds an FAA certificate.

The Boeing analysis says worldwide there is a need for 600,000 mechanics, in the next few years. That is as much as the pilot hiring needs. Food for thought.