Chris Scott,
I was on one of the BEA/BOAC graduate courses at Oxford in 1970. We did indeed cover the full ATPL but did not get any credit for it. If you recall, one had to have a certain minimum hours to apply to sit the exams which came after about two years on the line. One could then be a SCPL ie. able to command an aircraft up to about Viscount size but more importantly enabling one to progress to full F/O. The full ATPL was issued with more flying time and NO practIcall test!
My course ran a 20% chop rate and many on the course were exUAS hence 100+ hours previous experience. No graduates failed airline conversion despite blind pews assertions as to our dottering older age!
Base training on Vanguards was extensive probably due to the many deficiencies of the sim. I truly believe that the older style of training produced a more confident pilot however money versus risk will always trump. I feel sorry for the new modern captain who may have to learn that simulator fidelity is not always good!!
But, as they say - for me, the war is over.