Thought I would put my bit in, with regard to the original question on this forum.
Loads of people are sceptical about doing a SSTR without job guarantee. I understand this fully, it is a gamble. However it is quite evident that doing a SSTR boosts your chances of getting a job considerably. My opinion is it does pay, especially if you are modular like myself and have spent a lot of time going in circles, sending applications left, right and centre and 90% of the time, never even receiving a reply. I am starting an A320 type rating this week, and my hopes are high. I am also glad to be doing it with a company which has a proven track record of getting their trainees a placement. What also drew me to them was they did a full assessment. Watch out for organisations that just accept you money without doing an airline assessment. . . they are normally after your dosh and your chances of them helping you out once the course is complete is slim. It is worth paying a little more and doing it somewhere with a good reputation and which has good airline partners. At the end of the day it is an investment, so invest wisely.