Quote: "So where are you going to invest your £80K investment that is secured against your parents home?" Assuming that's aimed at me (rather than a general statement to all readers) you must have assumed I'm a fresh-faced wannabe about to start out on a course with CTC and so trying to defend them. I'm not about to start training anywhere. That seems like a long time ago now!
Here's my last post on the subject - you mention "their right to a TR like they were promised", this is the point I'm making, everyone must remember that cadets are NOT promised a type rating, let alone a job! Obviously it is heavily implied that you will, but technically it is just training to get an fATPL, and there are no guarantees, and any trainees MUST remember this (I'm sure you will agree).
On this note, if one compares the big integrated FTOs directly, the only thing each trainee from ANY school is guaranteed to come out with is a CPL/IR and 200-and-something hours. My point is: of all the trainees currently graduating these schools and NOT getting jobs right now due to the current climate - the CTC cadets seem to have got the best value for their money e.g.
1. No accomodation charges at any point in the course
2. Getting a MCC/JOC course (I must admit I dont know if OAA/FTE get this as part of the initial course costs, do they?)
3. Some are even getting a type rating, before going to an airline, at no extra cost to themselves! (which, as I've said, technically is a bonus since it was never PROMISED). Those who haven't yet, will. (Unless CTC change their current policies, no sign of that for the time being). Surely this is better than other trainees from most schools who have to either pay for a rating or try to get a job without one?
4. Reasonable prospects of some kind of employment (even if it is flexicrew, but lets not start on that, better than NOTHING right?)
So, seeing as everybody coming out of an integrated school right now is struggling, would you agree that the CTC cadets have the best prospects?