I have to agree with TYPHOONPILOT on this one. If you were qualified to be hired as a First Officer with 5000 hours, then you are, after a year, qualified for command. No airline hires First Officers intending them to be First Officers forever. A good Recruitment staff knows if you will not be fit for command, and you will never be hired in the first place.
A good training department can take a First Officer with one year and qualify them for command so long a reqruitment is hiring qualified applicants. I can tell you that the people I know who have been hired by EK in the last year, would all make great Captains. They should be given the opportunity before any DEC is hired. I have always read on this forum that EK takes care of it's people and now is not the time change that policy!