While we're on the subject of "work your way up" which I advocate, let me briefly touch base with the MPL. Certain aircraft manufacturers and aviation authorities are working hard to implement this route together with jet operators and to me this is another way of skipping to the front and avoiding "real" experience.
Personally I find this whole business surprising. It seems everyone agrees there is a pilot shortage (!) which is to be solved by fast tracking cadets through sims in multi crew ops and then releasing them for flight duty.
What frikkin pilot shortage? Who is gonna fly the PA31/C208 in the bush? MPL pilots with detail knowledge of sim hydraulics? It's as if all aircraft were wiped off the face of the earth and then there was Boeing and Airbus.
I don't believe the crap that's going on at the moment. And sanctioned from above by the CAA no better. Most if not all seasoned captains I've spoken with lately spit at the fast trackers already - they're just not up to speed on general flying even though they're qualified for RHS B737 ops.
I don't see how anything is getting any better.