Hi Damo
OAA in the UK has an excellent reputation with the airlines, a reputation I would hazard a guess built up by people knowing people when the operation was a small private concern. Now of course OAA Oxford is a small but significant cog in a wordwide aviation related organisation. I have visited them at Kidlington Airport, Oxford and it is a very professional setup but you do pay for it. I am in no doubt that having OAA on your CV in the European market, particularly UK airlines is a big positive.
For example the 60 week integrated APPFO course which goes from Ab-initio to Frozen ATPL costs about £70,000, which is todays exchange rate terms is about Au$ 155,000. This cost cover flight training only and not accomodation, food etc so you would need to add these on top. Oxford is not a cheap place to live and I would suggest you would not get much change out of £90,000 all in (Au$200,000).
ALthough training costs are high you have to remember that the European market is different in that it is quite possible to graduate from a course at OAA and within a year land a job in the RHS flying Dash 8's, A320 or 737. I say it is possible but it is certainly not guaranteed and is pretty rare unless you are on one of the self sponsored airline schemes that they run. Also, salaries seem to be higher with a new FO earning about £50,000 (Au$110,000)
pr annum. So higher training costs but higher salaries so the two balance out - kind of anyway!!
The Australian market is different so I doubt whether the same marketing strategy 'Come to GFS (OAA) and maximise your chances of landing an airline job) would be quite as effective. As McGrath says in Australia it is more about having ability and the experience to back it up.
I know OAA publish statistics on graduates employment status but I have read posts on PPRUNE doubting their validity as they are a mixed bag of self sponsored airline cadets who were getting a job with an airline anyway, people who have found their own jobs years down the line etc. I have to agree I'm afraid.
To answer your question will training at GFS (OAA) increase your job prospects when the industry bounces back - Who knows but I doubt it!!
Good Luck with your future in aviation.
ps. Would it suprise you to know that graduates from OAA Oxford cannot just go any hire a single engined aircraft because they do not have a SEP<5700 endorsement and they graduate with very few command hours all 'solo' hours during training are ICUS!!!!!