If anything, being in a big company on a structured training scheme can be better, since they'll move you around a lot to gain experience, and also you are probably not reliant upon "dead mens shoes" to advance. This was certainly true for me in MoD/RAE umpty-ump years ago, my Dad at Supermarine in the 1960s, and friends of mine at BAeS when I was doing my thing.
For graduates, I'm not sure it's quite so true, but for an apprentice I think it is.
G