Numerous commercial firms and the military offer some form of sponsorships or scholarships for just a very few people - it has always been that way and nothing wrong with it, it just helps a very few people get onto the first rung of the ladder of their chosen career.
For the rest, they have to do it the hard way and work and save the required many thousands of pounds. Some are lucky enough to get financial assistance from one source or another. They will also still have mortgages in the future and the debt to still pay back, so nothing different there.
The worst thing at the moment is the wannabe being almost forced into going down one of the variations of self funded type rating schemes that are currently prevalent, this just has to be resisted. Hopefully with the upturn in the market this will soon be consigned to the bin and airlines will have to start doing their own type ratings again.
Wannabes, I don't think the 'smart arse' is called for in an adult conversation, will be pleased to fly anything and don't want to take away the opportunity of those who have been in the business longer, those who have done their apprenticeship on the turbos, flight instruction etc, not forgetting however, that many still prefer to be flight instructors (great fun I understand) or flying turboprops, we all have different goals.
However if they get offered the opportunity of flying a jet do you think they will turn it down? Would you? In fact there are still not that many opportunities anyway, lets just face it we all want to get in the air somehow.
Now the big boys are, or in some cases, rumoured to be recruiting then eventually opportunities have to trickle down to all levels of the business and who knows in a few years we may even be in the enviable position of a choice of employer!
Hi5