I think part of the disagreement here may be as a result of different culture. In Aus I would think that the amount of ppls being trained is fairly low. Most students in flying schools here are cpls. It's not just a matter of teaching them to hover and fly circuits.
Also where hangar ratting works well here is that a lot of the operators that take on low hour pilots are in fairly remote areas so there is plenty to learn about the company operations,self sufficiency etc before you head out to remote camps. Generally the time spent sweeping floors, assisting engineers, greeting customers etc gives a good solid grounding(apprenticeship) If you see your time in the hangar as a waste it is probably more a reflection on your attitude than anything else.