Why should any company be happy about being a stepping stone?
Say Again,
It is the nature of the beast. From the day a commercial pilot steps into the industry his goal is to be flying a big shiny jet, preferably during daylight.
Any turbo-prop operator, particularly a geriatric turbo-prop operator flying night freight, has to accept that such pilots aren't going to stick around any longer than is necessary.
The exception to the rule will be those nearing retirement age or the ones with other occupations. This is no excuse for treating staff with contempt but it is the nature of the beast.
From the sound of it, you are not 'originally rostered' into discretion but are 'roster changed' into discretion. I can speak with some authority when I say that there is a lack of understanding of the regulations within Operations, not saying all, but some.
Emerald cannot attract Operations staff of experience, partly thru reasons that have been flogged to death already, partly thru being off the beaten 'aviation' track, a lot to do with salaries and lets face it, and much the same as a pilot who wants to fly a shiny jet, can an Operations guy consider his ultimate goal to be working in a portakabin with bars on the windows!
Accordingly, Emerald struggles to find experienced senior Operations personnel and the assistants, well some are better than others but they're just young guys, plonked in the chair and told to get on with it.
Unless things have changed, staff training, well what staff training and by whom? Much the same as your situation, it's results that count and how those results are achieved, well who cares!