Aer Arann has always preferred to do in house type ratings as the company is a TRTO. This way they select their own candidates and train them using their own instructors and SOP's. This is common to all commercial operators in the world. However there are a few variables that can upset things along the way. It takes nowadays probably three months from the day you first turn up for your induction course at the company to be signed off at line check. This means that you are taking training staff away from their other duties in the company quite a lot over the course of this time. Technical training is conducted by qualified first officers in the company and all sim work by their TRE/TRI's. Line training is a minimum of 40 sectors. Coupled with this you must complete the various exams and standard first aid, dangerous goods, CRM courses etc along the way.
With all of what I have said in mind there comes a time when the company cannot wait that long for people to come through the system. When this happens they have to look elsewhere and that is where your type rated guys come along. My opinions in my previous post are based on my experience to date of one such training company, not on one's individual flying skills. Arann will always require first officers and especially captains. The company is growing at a phenomenal rate and expanding its fleet all the time. In my opinion there will be plenty of jobs in the near enough future. There are plenty of FO's coming close to command so they will all have to be replaced. Coupled with the the airline has ordered ten brand new aircraft to be delivered over the next three years so thats about 50 jobs in itself not withstanding those who move on within the company itself. Someone mentioned the Air Wales guys. From my understanding most had jobs within a few days of the company going under.
My point in the whole post is to be careful when going down the route of the self sponsored type rating. You will have to pay for your rating in Arann but you have a job at the end of it. If you ask any of the senior management they will always say they prefer to train their own guys. Now in saying that the company has a lot of ex Skyblue trained guys flying for them. Many of who are excellent. In fact most of them. It's the people we don't get to see that is a bit worrying. Lately many haven't made it through the initial stages of the Arann training despite their rating. Good luck to you if you go down that route and pick a company that you feel will give you the best value for the money you have payed.