at the moment there is not much demand for anything other than F/Os.
In order to keep the training section profitable that is. There's no demand for more F/O's to actually fly the line.
The score is simple: F/O's are being forced on illegal unpaid leave, so obviosuly more recruits are not needed. But: it's cheaper to have trainees fly than "expensive" F/O's, so newbies are merely there to shaft the more established guys.
But's it a zero sum game as this years newbies will be next years illegal unpaid leave recipients as the amount of aircraft parked up increases dramatically next year. Remember: fr are in enormous financial doo doo.
Slim, why don't you reveal to us your vested interest in encouraging applicants to pay big money to buy a job at ryanair when it's obvious they are utterly unneeded and will be unpaid for significant amounts of time in the future?