I feel there is a little too much specialization in the trajectory of a prospective pilot's training arc and that there should be some courses required that help the students acquire skills that they can draw on when faced with an unusual situation such as linking symptoms to the underlying issue in both flying the plane and understanding the systems.
This is an excellent point but the fact is the way our system is structured in the U.S. there are no real prerequisites to obtaining advanced flight training beyond enough money to push your way through it.
I personally have no problem with low time pilots in the cockpit if they've been properly trained and qualified but they should be hand selected based on their aptitude and ability rather than their finances. The only way you will get top quality students interested in aviation is to make aviation the prestigious profession it once was.
I believe the airlines are not the problem so much as ourselves and our own sense of entitlement. Why do we feel a pilot should learn to fly as a captain on a 50-100 seat regional jet before they're qualified to be a co pilot on a 130-160 seat jet that is no more sophisticated or difficult to fly? The responsibility is just as great.
The seniority system we worship has created the regional jet dilemma in the first place.