Right now the only way to achieve that dream we all had is to become a CTC cadet. It costs a fortune but debt is way more acceptable today than it was previously, plus it was a clear route to a jet job. Who, hand on heart, can blame anyone for doing it? Plenty of you it would appear! What would you have done if you were starting out again? I know what I would have done - gone to CTC because I simply had no other choice. How can you be so self-righteous now as to blame these guys/gals for doing so?
What happened to starting off flying turboprops like I and many others have done? CTC is not the only option but it is rather the 'easier' option but also the most expensive as well. We are now in the dire situation where a new turboprop F/O in the UK will take home more money than a new F/O sitting in a easyJet Airbus plus the former will probably be on a full time contract too.
When you look at it in that context, then the whole situation is simply laughable and I would be laughing myself if someone had told me a few years ago, this is the predicament that we would be in. Sadly it is no laughing matter and the time to take action was when the rot first started.