some of the EASA course was tough for me, MOD 3 (electrics) being 1 of them, its all magic to me!! still managed to get 90% mind
you don't really start learning untill you get on the job, the course is just a fundamental thing to help you get a foot in the door, although it does count as part of experiance.
there does seem to be a fair ammount of disdain for people who get into the industry this way on this site though, i think most people here were either appos or ex RAF. i'm pretty sure that if there was the ammount of aprentice scheems running today as there was a few years ago we would all have done it that way.