It's not only us ,guys. I read recently that in UK there are agencies who are charging university graduates a large fee to place them with major financial institutions for so-called 'work-experience'. Sick, but there is a waiting list, and some economics graduates were paying 8000GBP to be placed for 12 months with a large firm of accountants. This, they think, will give them a rung on the ladder later on. Same as our young boys. Just a point for discussion, and there will be many disagree-ers.Compare airline pilot 'apprentices' to other professions, e.g. doctors, solicitors, accountants, mech.civil/engineers etc., are cadet F/O slaraies so badly off compared to those other professions? University gradutes usually have spent 3-4 years under hard study, not 15 months. Considering a cadet in LoCO can have a command, on relativily big bucks, before they are 30, and thus be on a high salary for MOST of their earning life, is it such a bad deal as many make out. Things have changed, it is true. Compare the days of major's F/O's waiting 18 years for command, and LoCo's 5 years; compare their career incomes, and it ain't so bad. The first few years are painful; true. In the longterm does it not even out? How many other careers have a 3 rung ladder to the top?
However, there is an argument, sadly, that the more difficult aviation enviroment is operated by the smaller operators in turbo-props and thus by the lowest paid lowest expereinced pilots. That is the real market place. I was flying the jump seat on a S340 over the Alps, in winter, on a businessmans' schedule flight with a Swiss Air flight No. The total experience in the flight deck was 1/4 of mine alone. The captain had less total hours than I had when I started airline flying. Did the pax know; did they care? It was a Swiss Flt No.1. it's called blind faith, and something for which the unions have to bear much of the blame.
Remember, I said discussion point and not me awaiting firing squad.