Remember the debate a number of years ago concerning the demise of Flight Engineers ? Many sound arguments were put foward in favour of retaining them, but they still went the way of the dinasour.
A highly automated modern airliner with GPWS, TCAS, FMS etc requires less and less flying skill but needs careful management to stay on top of things. On the Airbus, provided all the computers are working, I can't overstress the airframe, stall, or exceed VNE. Fuel, pressurisation, electrics all look after themselves. If something goes wrong, a list of things to do apears on a screen. I can engage the autopilot at 200' and need only take over again shortly before touchdown. The landing still takes skill in difficult conditions, but if you can learn to do it in a light aircraft you can learn to do it in a jet.
The skills required are getting narrower and more focused. Most of the decisions are taken by other people and the pilots mearly carry them out.
Future training will take all this into account and produce a suitable operator, hence the new Multi Pilot Licence. The pilots in my company who had the easiest transition to jets were those that came from the regionals and were flying multi crew, they required less sectors of line training and got upgraded quicker to the left seat.
One of our captains was involved in ab initio cadet training for an airline and freely admitted that the pilots produced wouldn't have been able to go out and do a charter flight in a light twin, but they fitted well into the airline system.
More specialised and narrowly focused training is the way things are going to be in future. Emergencies will have been practised in the sim rather than experienced for real in pistons and turbo props.
I hope it all works out when something totally unprepared for happens, eg 747 cargo hold door blows out in flight, 737 loses roof etc.