Beagle: You do not need a uniform to encourage a sense of professionalism and corporate identity - complete twoddle. You are referring to dressing smartly, which is a world away from wearing a uniform.
Uniforms have their roots in the military, obviously. Airline pillots wear uniforms because the public wish to feel safe in the fact that their vessel is being flown/sailed/operated in a highly professional, almost military style of precision and competency...quite rightly too. A uniform is a visual endorsement of that perception. Personally, I think its its correct for professional airline pilots to wear uniforms.
However, turning to OAT. OAT is not the military (although it could be given the average age of its conscripts). Nor is it an airline. People who see OAT students walking around think they look like space cadets, not trainee airline pilots. The whole rank & stripes thing simply adds insult to injury. Add to that and the fact, if true, that modular students wear one bar and integrated students wear two (or whatever) and you cannot escape from concluding that instilling professionalism is not the primary driver for wearing uniforms at OAT.
Rant complete.