The Irish apprenticeship system is a 4 year apprenticeship with 7 phases alternating between 'on the job' and collage. It worked well, you get a chance to absorb and relate the theory while on the job meanwhile gaining the required experience.
I suspect you refer to the B1 B2s originating from T1 T2s which is fair enough and probably a simplistic concept. On the other hand, whoever convinced EASA (I suspect the infallible UK CAA) that someone who does a so called 147 approved basic course requires a years less experience than someone who has an apprenticeship, obviously had more interest in insuring money hungry schools staying open than aircraft safety.
I don't want to knock the whole UK system as I know some excellent engineers that come from the UK and went through what sound like excellent apprenticeship programs.