REAL steps to solving any “pending shortage” of mechanics

I began writing for magazines in the aircraft maintenance industry 26 years ago. At the time, the Professional Aircraft Maintenance Association (PAMA) launched an effort to help solve what was purported at the time to be a “Pending Shortage” of aircraft mechanics.

First, the organization sought to validate the “shortage” and so, with the help of the government, launched a special blue ribbon panel to investigate. As one would imagine, the conclusions of the blue ribbon panel were that yes, there was going to be a shortage.

There have been recurring efforts to take a look at an “impending shortage” of qualified individuals to work on aircraft. Each time these efforts result in the prediction that we need to attract more people to the aircraft maintenance profession.

I find it curious that these efforts and resulting conclusions are usually driven by aircraft manufacturers and repair facilities. But why wouldn’t they be? It’s in the best interest of businesses to have an abundant supply of enthusiastic, well-trained mechanics at their disposal ... right?

From a mechanic’s perspective, a shortage of mechanics actually improves our value, provides job security and potentially increases the overall pay scale for maintenance personnel.

Yes, that’s right — a shortage of mechanics actually helps us. It’s called supply and demand. The greater the demand for someone or something and the lower the supply, the higher the price.

That said, I acknowledge that there is a critical point where a shortage could negatively impact aviation safety, keep flights from taking place, or diminish the need for more aircraft. I don’t see a definitive link to these problems yet, and there are also lots of other mitigating factors to take into account.

Do you disagree with me? You believe that there is a critical shortage of aircraft mechanics, or at least that it is just around the corner, and we need to attract more young people to aircraft maintenance? What should we do?

I have some recommendations:

Increase the pay scale for aircraft mechanics

Start paying your mechanics more money. Establish a base pay that is above other manufacturers/service providers in the industry and make it a no brainer for qualified mechanics to come to work for you. Like any other position at your company, mechanics will reward you for paying them well. They will work long hours, be dedicated to the company and take responsibilities for their work and others.

Make the profession attractive

No matter how we “spin” the profession, it is what it is. What attracts young people to anything is a certain level of excitement or pride. I find it discouraging that I keep hearing from some mechanics that they would never encourage young people to enter the profession. We are all responsible for the level of pride in this industry. That pride is dependent upon several factors, to include the ability to earn a satisfactory income. There are also some intangible things that make a profession attractive. Things like recognition, professional organizations, and professional magazines all paint a picture about a particular profession. Support those organizations and magazines and reward your mechanics for work well done. It will come back to us many times over and could even solve the “impending shortage of aircraft mechanics.”

As always, I appreciate your reading D.O.M. magazine and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Greg Napert, Proud to be an A&P