Believe it or not, it has been advertised - not the Flybe/FTE one.
12-14 months was the target with the TR
The rationale I suppose is that apart from learning their way from the start, it a is a quicker training course (lets say 14months) compared to approx 24 months for a fATPL who then goes onto do a TR. So an airline can adapt to forecasts relatively quicker than before - 14 months.
Compared to getting an unknown pilot who then needs to be trained up to SOPs of the airline plus the aircraft they will be operating.
This is the only reasons I can think of. I mean the fATPL has been around for a while hasn't it?