Who I post for is the Capital providers who need to sign over there life savings on the hope that there child is one of the lucky ones and makes it.
Yes, it is an interesting perspective being a parent. Being a parent in an aspirational industry such as this one is even more interesting.
I know a number of parents who with the benefit of their own knowledge and positions within the industry have children of their own for whom they do act as either "capital providers" or guarantors. I am afraid that the majority of those parents do go with the major integrated cadet schools (Oxford, CTC and FTE) simply because these are the
fast track routes into the best career opportunities these days.
Rather like socialist politicians preaching about the morality, benefits and cost savings of comprehensive schools, whilst at the same time ensuring their own sons and daughters attend expensive private schools. The philosophy is one thing, the reality is quite another. You pay your money and take your chances. There are no guarantees, and the risks are substantial.
If my son or daughter, with the necessary determination, ability and desire wanted me to guarantee a course of training leading to an airline career, I would only do so through one of these major schools. 90K and a reasonable prospect of subsequent employment would need to be balanced against 50K and the massively oversubscribed catalogue of similar individuals. On the prospect of cost recovery, and knowing what I know, it really is a no brainer once the point arrives when a decision has to be made.
Of course (and as with any expense in life) the choice is tempered by an ability to both raise and allocate this very high level of funding. The reality is that relatively few people will be able to either raise or risk this level of resource. I might risk 90K, but I am certainly not to going to throw 50K down the drain. Of those parents that I know in this position, that seems to be a common theme.
Perhaps interestingly, a comment I have sometimes heard is that when balanced against university fees, the difference is the approximate real world cost of a full time integrated cadet programme. Despite this, about half of those involved do have a university education.