I'll respond to this bit:
Part of the problem there is that formal bike mechanics courses are as rare as hens' teeth - the TAFE system doesn't seem to see any value in offering the courses, so they only come up at a handful of places once in a blue moon. This makes it at the bare minimum highly inconvenient but more often downright impossible for anyone to actually get a formal qualification as a mechanic. So the unfortunate offshoot is that there are a lot of people working in shops as mechanics who have been hired because a) they're know at the shop beforehand as being interested in bikes and b) because they can at least hold a spanner.
Virtually all the training is done on the job, but often, because of the lack of formal training, some details get overlooked or lost in translation along the way.
I've been through the chain myself. My skills are virtually all self-taught. I had a decent grasp of the fundamentals when the shop I work at took me on, but a lot of stuff I've picked up on the way just from tinkering, and making the occasional stuff-up. The key is to recognise when you've stuffed something, and learn from it. I'm now in a position where I'm trying to pass on my knowledge to younger colleagues, and let's face it, some people just don't have mechanical aptitude. You can demonstrate until your fingers fall off & tell them until their ears burn, but some just don't get it.
I've been a professional mechanic for nearly 10 years, but don't have the piece of paper that says I know my shit. But I know that I know my shit.
Most shop can actually offer on-site traineeships through TAFE with prior knowledge being accepted, their 2 years, but you can get through them in 6-8mths (probably quicker if your TAFE man isn't a prick) without hassle if you had prior knowledge, I did mine in my gap year a few years ago.