Absolutely.
Further, it's not just the basics of jet flying, it's the basics of any flying.
Automation is currently an amazing assistant. One day it might be capable of dealing with anything and everything, but at the moment it isn't. And to assume it is, is a disaster in the making. More to the point, with the current level of automation, to subsume pilots to the electronics is insane.
Sure, 90% of the time the 'bus flies itself. However, as most of us know, the 10% is the difference between a landing where a few tonics get spilled and a landing where dental records are essential.