I think that's a pretty brash statement if I'm honest! Without wanting to fuel a massive debate, sponsorship can be defined in a number of ways, and it is not just simply the finance involved. Sponsorship is a way of showing support for people with potential, and although I do fully appreciate that finance is a huge motivator for those looking for sponsorship, there is more to it than that.
Having a significant debt is a very real consideration, but surely a cadet who is in employment doing what they love is not unsafe - I'd go with the contrary in fact! The packages offered by all the partner airlines are excellent, and fair enough, a decent chunk goes back into repayments, but you still are left with a very competitive typical graduate salary after repayments in year one! I agree that whilst waiting for a job, people may well lose sleep, but once the job is there, the hardest part is done and there is some security. Cadets will not want to lose the opportunity they have had to work so hard for for so long, so they will be the ones who are at dispatch early to be as prepared as possible, they will pay extra attention to detail....
....and the difference about wanting to be a pilot and an ATCO is that we get to see the amazing sunrises and sunsets and are completely responsible when we are bringing 50 tonnes of metal down the glideslope in crappy weather at nearly 200 mph....you guys sit in front of a computer screen in a dark room (not to be taken that I don't appreciate that what ATC do is challenging by the way!!)