Tango123
Sorry to contradict you, but there was and still might be a pilot shortage "oop North", although I believe that most of the vacancies have already been filled.
The problem was that while the three big operators have plenty of people on their books who seem to have the right qualifications on paper, only a small proportion (say 1 in 3) are found to fit all the requirements after written + aptitude + simulator checks, followed by an interview.
Those who finally got through all the stages came from mixed backgrounds and the minority were "new baby" pilots from the self-sponsored route with a CPL(H) and IR.
So yes, there are plenty of applicants meaning that there isn't any pressing need to advertise.