Don't see what you lot are complaining about. If you want to fly for Southwest Airlines, you have to have the rating - whether you pay for it yourself of have it courtesy of a previous employer doesn't matter - but no 737 rating; no interview.
Plus you pay an application fee and other charges related to the application process. They still have thousands applying to them - and Southwest is regarded as being one of the best employers in the US - so there's obviously a lot fewer whingers over in the States than there are here in Europe!
Perhaps if all airlines took this approach, fewer of them would be in trouble right now.
And finally, don't forget that FR pay their people exceptionally well - you just have to (quite properly) work bloody hard for it.