MPL
The MPL was conceived during a period of mass hiring worldwide. Airlines all over were scraping the bottom of the barrel for warm bodies to fill their cockpits. During the mass hiring at PAL in the early 80's, a VP told me, "If Satan walked in tomorrow with an ATPL, I'd hire him!"
The MPL program guarantees a supply of first officers well-qualified for that position by virtue of the extremely focused type-specific training. When we first heard rumors of the MPL, everyone was leery to say the best. But after several years of flying with A320 and A319 first officers that came from heaven knows where, I think I would not mind flying with an MPL holder.
But the airline business is a volatile one. The best corporate planners and human resources divisions in the world could not have predicted the global economic crisis. Who could have prevented our downgrading to Category 2 by the FAA? We all know the answer to that but at least he doesn't work there anymore. All the same, airline expansion and consequent crew hiring was snookered.
Now there is a huge slowdown in airline hiring. Suddenly nobody is in a hurry to hire low time pilots. The only airlines who are hiring actively have their pick of experienced crew, many on furlough from other airlines.
Those MPL candidates already in the pipeline who have been sponsored by 5J are lucky. 5J has spent millions for them and will probably not write off their training cost and leave them swinging in the wind. 5J probably has more sense than PAL who trained Zest's first pilots for free.
It would be wonderful if 5J could absorb the self-sponsored CIA cadets but, to paraphrase an earlier contributor, nobody owes them anything beyond the training for which they paid. These guys should be thinking of alternatives as early as now. In my humble opinion, the best option is to go for additional training to get a proper CPL/IR. Think of it as an en route diversion. Only a minuscule minority of all CPL/IR holders will get to fly the big iron. But only those who are available will even have a chance.
Never lose track of your destination. But don't forget to enjoy the journey itself.