End of the day kids, you pay for your training whatever way you look at it. There's no way this can be described as sponsorship or an airline paying for some of your training, BUT , it does provide you, assuming you're successful, with a rapid route to the right hand seat of a jet. And yes those training costs are recouped via your wages early on.
The AQC is an excellent course, 1 week MCC, 1 week CRM/groundschool plus an added few days of manual flying skills in the sim. It is a lot of money, but then if you're successful you get a job out of it, or at least 6 months line flying with an airline and being paid. I don't know anybody who didn't get taken on after the 6 months unless they're were only on a temporary contract to begin with ( i.e usually charter ops ).
It's hard work but really enjoyable, most of the guys on my course had mcc's before applying, some didn't and almost all got through. I would say it doesn't matter if you have an mcc or not before applying as long as you come into it with the right attitude having done some research on multi crew ops.
good luck to anyone going for it!
WBV