Canada still only requires a CPL and 250 hours to be the FO on a CAR 705 ( i.e. Part 121) air carrier. In late 2019 just before COVID killed the industry pilots were going from flight school to Captain of a Regional jet in less than 2 years. They had no PIC time since the flight school and could be paired with a 300 hour FO.
This had never happened before because regional typically hired pilots with 3000+ hrs with a lot of real world experience. However 2 things happened
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An explosion in demand for pilots from new ULCC and expanded regionals started to exceed the supply, and
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Airline executives realized they could wave the shiny 70 seat airliner in front of brand new pilots who would be so star struck they would work for peanuts and they would not leave for greener pastures because they had no experience, and
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The airlines started having real trouble upgrading the less than 1700- 1800 hr zero to hero pilots who could hold a Captains bid but could not pass the Captains course. Did this lead to a lowering of standards, probably not at the time but I think only because COVID stopped the lunacy
You can’t train experience, ultimately you have to live it. Even instructing in a C 172, you are the PIC and have to actually make a decision.
The US was smart to insist on an ATPL or restricted ATPL for all Part 121 flying. It helps weed out the poseurs and forced the airlines to pay a decent wage and not abuse their pilots.