I remember back when I was starting my PPL in about 2003. The talk then was all about the new SSTR and how it would drive down T&C's etc. Since then we have had a small recruitment boom in around 2007/08. This did nothing to reduce the SSTR but the banking crises that followed gave us something else to worry about P2F (hey, its aviation so we use abreviations).
P2F has taken the heat off of the SSTR debate as its taking flying training to whole new levels. IMO SSTR is here to stay. I really don't think the ratio between jobs and wannabes will ever enable us to see the end of SSTR. There is a difference though, there is a big difference between doing an SSTR with a job at the end and being bonded and doing it in the hope that you will find a job afterwards. What does a 737/A320 TR with no hours give you when the chance of a job on an ATR comes up. Are you really going to go to an interview and try to convince to interviewer that your not going to rush off to a jet job as soon as it comes up when you chose to do a jet TR?
The other problem with SSTR is it doesnt affect the T&C's of the senior FO's and Captains. P2F is and will, continue to bring down T&C's of those above. Its looking like the USA are going to go with the idea of 1500 FO's. We will now see the 0 - 1500 hour courses coming up. How long until we get CTC or Oxford offering a 0 to ATPL (Not fATPL) course. This has a knock on effect which will bring down the T&C's of pilots at all levels. If a junior FO at an airline was earning £30,000 a SFO £45,000 and a cptain £65,000 the when the junior FO is suddenly PAYING £20,000 the other levels will drop accordingly. I think and hope that soon BALPA will step in and try to put a stop to P2F before it makes even more of a mockery of this whole proffession. SSTR however doesnt have any affect on those already employed and on the line so who will put a stop to it.
The whole thing has been about moving the risk from the airlines to the individual. This is the reason we have anything other than full sponsorship. I for one would hate to see a return to all sponsored pilot training. That would be the end of the 30 year old experineced pilot making his way to the airlines. Only 22 year old with a aerospace degrees would be getting the jobs. How much we pay though depends on the strength of the market and the apathy of the experienced pilots.