Nice shot - aims off though.
A PCC will never renew an IFR; whether they have been on the ramp for a year or two makes no difference, its only a PPC - and you're right, the operator would have to be quite shaddy to suggest otherwise.
The whole point is that you cannot "renew" from a Group 3 to a Group 1 - you have to "issue" and thats the point I'm driving here. Not many operators are authorized as a Flight Training Unit to provide training and flight test for the initial issue for the Group 1. So should the Op choose to take your advise, their options become limited for jobs to those operators who are also authorized to train for the initial issue of a Group 1 Instrument Rating.