Originally Posted by Antonio Montana
...the only thing that matters is getting you face known.
Surely that is the nub of the argument.
At the end of the day the modular/integrated argument is pointless on a pedagogical level. Both deliver good training and I am sure the majority of schools in general do. Aptitude probably has more to do with the ability and maturity of the student or the individual instructor they end up assigned to. These are factors largely unconnected with the form or location of the training.
The issue of importance is getting that first job and for many people the peace-of-mind of increased employment likelyhood might be worth the extra tens of thousands they pay for integrated. Airlines no doubt take a mixture of candidates, regardless of dubious claims that operator XXX only takes integrated/modular, the simple requirement being that you get your face known. If an integrated course increases the chance of that then who can really argue that this isn't worth extra expense?
I am only responding to the marketing here and perhaps this is an area that some of the other FTOs should emphasise more, but OAT, Jarez and CTC seem to make it very clear that they operate referrals to airlines, have airlines come to them directly and have very close connections with carriers in the UK and beyond. They are quite upfront that this connection is especially useful if you are on an integrated course with them. That in itself (unfortunately) seems to me worth thousands of pounds. Perhaps all training organisations do this, but unless they make that clear then why should someone assume so?
Given the choice between posting your CV to join the pile on an HR managers desk, or on the other hand, having an airline come to your school looking for pilots and having your name and record presented to them, surely the later increases your chances? The extra £20,000 you may pay by going integrated at one of the "name-brand" schools might just be worth it for this. At the same time, the £20,000 you save by going modular might be pointless if you end up unemployed, or your name and face is always out of sight.
Once employed I doubt anyone really cares where the training occurred or how much it cost....but without a job, those issues become a serious concern. P.S For the record, modular would be my first choice of training IF I felt it gave me equal access to getting my face known.