Ref. Regulation 6's post and others.
back in the day, an airline would have invested a large wedge of cash in training a pilot, only to see their investment walk away to another employerand cash-in on the "free" training......manual trades had apprenticeships...one worked for peanuts and was taught on the job, by a skilled colleague, who's productivity consequently suffered. If the apprentice was bright ,willing and industrious, the lost productivity was recouped and hopefully a profit made (otherwise, why bother employing apprentices?...it's a business, not a charity or school!)
At the end of the apprenticeship, the newly-qualified tradesman could expecta goodly payrise....or, if business was quiet, the employer, having fulfilled his obligation, let the worker go.
So , you see, nothing has really changed....the bond stopped the trainee shafting the trainer...the t/r is really no different to the engineer/mechanic who has to provide his own toolkit (OK, a motor-mechanic can get a good kit for under £ 10K, but he doesn't get anything like a Pilot's wage and works around 1700 hours a year)
Manufacturers do provide training-courses, these are usually only a couple of days and are not cheap, yes the employer usually puts a loyal employee forward and picks up the tab.....the qualification is, like a t/r , only of any value in that franchise....leave the employer, you are then hunting for a job in another location, or start again,on the path of learning the specifics of a new type.
P2F, I can see as an investment for someone young and capable, but it has to be borne in mind that the training investment should be reflected in the wage, spread over ~15 years (don't forget the loss of interest on that capital, or that which you'll pay if you can borrow it.
The elitism has gone out of flying, anyone who is willing to front the money,can train to be a pilot....wether their license will earn them enough to make it a good or wise investment, is another issue.