I seem to recall flying the helicopter during the Shawbs Harrier course as:
a. Great fun
b. Of no practical or relevant use to prepare for Harrier STOVL
c. Quite easy to get to grips with
Like most things, the devil is in the detail and I wouldn't presume to apply the ease of hovering in a field near Ternhill to landing a Lynx on a bucking Frigate deck, or infil-ing an SF team into a compound at night, lights out on NVG, with little power margin. Similarly, one shouldn't discount that STOVL was a means to an end and, though it was unquestionably challenging at times, there was often a mission between take off and landing events.
The key delineator in ability was the prospective Harrier pilot's skill to consistently produce a safe, textbook VL or Slow Landing at the end of a very busy sortie. Those that couldn't, didn't last. Those that could, earned their place.