My friend is on one of these schemes and told me the following:
Flybe are starting 18 MPL students this summer (12 in Oxford, 6 in FTE) as well as more MAPS students at FTE later this year and frankly it is ridiculous. The reason they are still going ahead with these schemes (even though there are 20+ swimmers plus more part sponsored and MAPS students graduating every couple of months) is to save face and promote a strong image in the current climate and I also heard that it is to keep the relationship with FTE and oxford sweet as they both want to be the first schools to train MPL. There is also a rumour out that it is to help secure government grants/funding for their shiny new training acadamy in Exeter.
Flybe have also sent this to the Cabair and MAPS graduates as part of a currency package email:
"The JOC Training Agreement (MAPS students) will remain in place for a period of 1 year from the date of finishing training. If no First Officer position can be offered in this timescale Flybe will write off the Training Agreement but the individual would then lose any advantage of being a MAPS student in priority of job offer.
The Part Sponsored (PSP) Training Agreement terms will remain in place for a period of 36 months from the date of finishing training. If no First Officer position can be offered in this timescale Flybe will write off the Training Agreement but the individual would then lose any advantage of being a PSP student in priority of job offer
Partial Sponsored students from any school, in order of seniority of completion of JOC, will be given priority in the pool before MAPS students"
MAPS guys affected finished training as farback as last year so I think they are losing all job priority in 5 or 6 months. They guys really are being screwed after being promised they would be looked after.