perhaps my earlier comment should have been, what is our system of flight training producing, after all the flight schools only train to the standard the industry and regulators require.
There is IMHO a worrying skills gap developing between the older generation who, as you say, flew aircraft where automation was a luxury, and the younger generation with 250 hours putting the AP in at 1500 feet on the way up and taking it out at 500' 3 hours later on the way down.
For example 2 x 3 hour sectors a day , 4 days a week, logged 96 hours in a month, actually flew the aeroplane for 40 minutes. So in a whole year a pilot might only hand fly for 12 hours.
Extreme example maybe but if your adding that onto your stock of knowlege gained after a 250 hour course then it is surprising there are not more handling incidents.