So AerLingus open a fully-funded cadet scheme (including accommodation!) and all the responses here are petty comments about successful candidates' nationality and parents. How typical of PPRune......
This is the best deal offered to cadets, in Europe at least, for a very very long time. Credit to EI for doing the "right" thing rather than seeing training as a money-making exercise. Hopefully this might persuade other airlines to follow suit but I won't hold my breath.