I was a ‘Flight Line Maintenance Mechanic’ for 25 years. I went to an FAA approved school and received my A&P license.
But note an A&P ticket is just a ‘license to learn’. I had to pay my dues and work for a commuter with props, back to school to learn avionics before getting hired by a major airline.
Today, airlines are suffering from staffing shortages at all levels. A person can now get hired right out of A&P school right into a major airline.
Those small planes are dirty work. I recall when he worked on them before he got hired by the airline.