geardown1 - nothing has changed your summing up is exactly correct.
bitcoin - at the risk of me repeating myself yet again on this thread - THERE ARE NO GUARANTEED JOBS - Even if you are fortunate enough to find your have been accepted on to an airline 'sponsored' scheme the small print will read something like 'satisfactory performance' (which can mean anything - BA used to want 85% pass mark in all theory tests & exams) & will go on to state 'subject to demand'. Quite rightly no company/airline will guarantee you a job as you are an unknown risk despite all the tests & interviews. You are not really there until you pass your line check & some do get chopped along the way.
I was an ATPL theory instructor for over 20 years instructing both airline & self-sponsored students at the major schools. Let's say there were 18 on a course usually at least one got back coursed and about every three months at least one was chopped usually due to poor performance (ground or flying). One airline visiting once sat in a couple of classes with their potential cadets & weren't impressed with 2 cadets due to their arrogant attitude, they were chopped the next day.
Certainly known EZY & other students put into a holding pool sometime for months. I was at Oxford when 9/11 occurred instructing fully sponsored BA & Aer Lingus courses & within 48 hours two of these were cancelled, so much for guaranteed jobs. If your parents are looking for job security you are in the wrong business, remember Covid, Monarch & Flybe going bust twice. A friend of mine (recently retired from BA) when he started out (1980s) with a sponsorship from Bristow Helicopters was made redundant 5 times in 7 years before long term at British Midland then BA.
If you wish to enter this profession I wish you all the best but make sure you fully awake & aware of all the potential risks & don't fall for the glossy sales brochure which will promise lots but might fail to deliver.