At A certain bankrupt Belgian National Airline, the line-training went as follows:
First flights: NO flight-director and only basic useage of automatics allowed during the flight. Autopilot and F/D only during cruise.
Only after the new pilot showed enough proficiency to fly safely and smoothly without the automatics, knowing the aircrafts behaviour did the training progress to the next step: the correct use of the autoflight modes.
Was it easy? NO Was it ultimately safer, YES
It made sure that EVERYBODY was proficient in hand-flying the aircraft should things go wrong, and EVERYBODY was comfortable in operating and flying the aircraft in all modes. Stick-and-Rudder proficiency was an evident result.
Mind you, this obviously also requires a very good basic schooling during initial ATPL training, and with that I don't mean creating SOP slaves.
This is how it should be done also today.