rmcdonal,
Yes, a good point, and I'm not suggesting that's the way it should be, but that practice did continue after the war. I have just finished reading Centaurus' book (a good read, and available in PDF format, go buy it!) and that's pretty much how he got started.
But this situation should change. If I want to work in a nuclear laborotory and be a physicist, I don't have to start out cleaning out the spent fuel containment pond to show I'm committed to the company! If I want to work as an air traffic controller, I don't have to spend 6 months after I've finished my training making coffee and cleaning the office so I'm in the right place at the right time so I can help out (paid help!) when someone else is sick. And yes, going back to the waterslide tester theory, these are both jobs that people WANT to do, like flying.