I went the aviation diploma route and I almost feel like I wasted my time, money, and energy cause at the flight school next door, they have a deal with Encore to take you from a PPL to an Instructor - you instruct until reaching 1000 hours and then you go right seat on a Q400. That said, if this supposed recession that everybody's talking about happens, you'd have a slight advantage in getting a job with some post secondary. Aviation is mostly about who you know at the end of the day though.