If ever there was a post here that management should read it's yours Plank. Tragically, they are either unwilling, or more to the point incapable of assimilating it!
Re: the future of the Cadet program. It will be interesting indeed to see just how pragmatic a businessman LKH really is. The program was initially sold to the board as either a cost neutral or even a profitable excercise, with the total exposure being tendered out to the lowest bidder. Well, we've all seen how sucessful that little escapade was. Blind freddy could see, that considering the state of the industry (G/A in particular), it was unlikely that the over optomistic low bidders would ever be able to make a go of it. Now it's up to REX to make a go of it. The only way that will be done is to abandon all hope of it being profitable in it's own right. One thing on the boss's mind I might suggest, would have been the REX Chief of staff's assertion that the Cadets would be trained from Go to "Whoe" in 32 weeks!! The costing of their lodgings and the requirements for space to be made for subsequent courses would have been factored into the $80K fee. If the true time frame does, and probably will extend to at least 18 months (78weeks!), then the $80K is going to be stretched mighty thin.
The only arguement for it's continuation (and a lobsided one at that) is that of the "future" crewing needs of the company. With the boss's almost pathalogical approach to costs, it will be facinating to see how long it is before he decides to cut his loses.