No comment on the topic, but here's the article.
It doesn't come cheap . . . €3,000 bill to train as a Ryanair stewardess
Tuesday February 24th 2004
BUDGET airline Ryanair is running yet another cost-cutting operation - charging its cabin crew up to €3,000 for their training.
It emerged yesterday that would-be Ryanair cabin crew from Ireland have to travel to Britain and pay several thousand euro just to get started.
Budding stewards and stewardesses have to foot a bill of €2,228 for training, plus accommodation and other bills, as well as paying €30 a month to cover the cost and maintenance of their uniforms.
The cost of training has outraged candidates. Other airlines, including Aer Lingus and British Airways, do not charge for training, and stress their commitment to investing in staff.
Ryanair said it had to cover the cost of outsourcing the training to a specialised company.
The airline, which carried 21 million passengers last year, is relentlessly cutting costs wherever possible. Last week it was announced that in-flight "luxuries" - such as reclining seats, window blinds and headrests - will be phased out to pass savings on to customers. Passengers may also have to take their luggage on board to save handling costs.
"In Ireland there are no specialised aviation training companies, but we are currently looking at outsourcing our cabin crew training here," a Ryanair spokeswoman said.
She said the UK trainees were guaranteed a job with Ryanair, which would earn them up to €38,000 a year, as well as an opportunity to join the airline's share option scheme.
A British student attacked Ryanair yesterday for the charges it demanded she pay to train, which amounted to over £2,000.
Lauren Kirk (19) received an e-mail telling her she had secured an interview, and detailing the costs involved. The four to five-week training course cost £1,500, plus accommodation. A B&B was around £25 a night, making an accommodation bill of at least £500.
Trainees were also told to bring £50 to pay for a medical examination and a £65 registration fee for a "learning pack and test". Unsuccessful applicants would not receive a refund for the course fees.
Ms Kirk said: "I was really, really shocked because I have never heard anything like this before.Why would you want to work for Ryanair when you can work for another airline which isn't charging you to join them?"
with acknowledgement to
Helen Bruce
Irish Independent