Licences are meaningless. Experience is the variable that cadet programs are overlooking. Will a cadet get experience? YES
So at what point does a pilot cease to be a cadet with minimal skills, and become a professional with years of experience to bring with them to work?
Will a cadet become a professional? Yes.. so will they then be paid as well as the guy next to them? NO
A cadet under this program will never leave that stigma behind. You will always be considered a cadet.
I have gained five thousand hours of flight time in some of the most nasty conditions Canada can dish out, so do I bring to the table more than you do as a cadet? Yes.
When someone with a depth of knowledge gets hired they are not bringing an empty flight-bag with them, and should be paid accordingly.
Cathay used to respect this when they were hiring, it really meant something to be a CX pilot. Now a pulse and a licence, and don't forget a huge training bond are the important things.
Example:
A doctor fresh out of Medical school is a Doctor. Yes. Would you want him to do open heart surgery? Nope! But with years of experience and in-house training he will be very capable as a autonomous doctor. So the question is should he have to start out at the bottom pay scale if he moves to a new hospital? No.