Thanks everyone for their valuable responses, I truly appreciate it.
To be completely honest, in regards to the path to becoming a pilot, I don't mind either undertaking a cadetship or doing it the "old fashioned way", (being that I get my CPL, then train or charter to get hours up before applying into the airlines.)
I'm essentially looking for the fastest way to do enter the "big leagues" as I want to enter my dream career quickly but also well prepared and well rounded, and to me the cadetship option seems as though it would be the quickest way to enter mainline. In regards to joining the universities and going through their programs, this just doesn't seem very viable to me as an option due to the 3 year course with no guaranteed job - I actually did work experience at CAE Oxford (I live about 10 minutes away from YMMB) but I figure that undertaking a commercial license at the local flight schools would be much quicker and cheaper.
Then again, I figure that if QF will be conducting their own training (and if they get up to 500 pilots per year as projected), why would they hire outsiders? The JQ and QF programs also look promising but what kinds of guarantees are in place for cadets as it seems quite fuzzy at the moment.
Keen to hear all of your thoughts on this - in regards to the medical, I'm booked in to be having it in the next 2 weeks or so - I've done a TIF and have a heap of sim time (I've got a system at home)
Thanks again for everyone's feedback