Who learnt to drive in a Kenworth truck? Ask any passenger if they would prefer a newly qualified pilot with little experience flying them in a multi million dollar jet?
Time for a reality check here....
Yes you can train someone to fly a jet with only 200 hours experience, you could teach a monkey to do it. But what happens when it's not a fine and beaut CAVOK day and all systems aren't working as they should be? Oh yes you can pass the sim check, but what about when it happens FOR REAL? Cant hurt yourself or anyone else in a sim. You draw on from past experience, prioritise and apply what you have learnt. Hard to do if you have no experience. You need to remain calm, fly the aeroplane and sort the problem. You need the spare head space to focus on the issue at hand, not just thinking about how to fly the plane. Situational awareness? And it's not just all up to the Captains to deal with it. They need to delegate tasks, but as an FO you also need to be able to prioritise tasks being handed to you and provide valuable support. Hence the reason there are two pilots up front.
It's not about a 'right of passage', it's a point in your career when you're suitable for the job. Who passed uni and became a top manager?
At 500 hours you think you know it all. At 1000 you realise you don't know that much. Every thousand after that you become more humble. Applied knowledge through experience.
It also needs to be the right hours in the right aeroplanes. 1500 hours in a C172 doesnt give you sufficient background for a jet.
As for the airforce and pilots flying jets with minimal hours. They are the cream of the crop. Take a look at their selection process. And they are trainined by the best of the best to impeccable standard.
In my opinion, if you want to fly for the airlines, learn to fly and gain the required experience. Enjoy the journey, it's a fantastic career path with many life experiences. If you started off in a jet, what do you have to aspire to? And people wonder why there are issues with Gen Y.