I am a proud ex-Laker but I'd have to say, copy SAAB's Colgan experience and there you have Lakes training. The only difference would be quality of instructors, every instructor I had at Lakes was top-notch. The management of the training was, and always will be, sub-par.
The first time pass rate for upgrade was about 30% when I went through and I lucked out and passed. That after sitting in Cheyenne for 2 weeks without touching an airplane because there weren't any available. No refresh flight, no nada. Low pass rates are a reflection of a poor training program, bottom line.
Couple that with politics. They now have a training 'manager' on the 1900 that I would not give a leg to because of his gross ineptitude as a pilot. He subsequently hires cronies like himself.
That all being said, I have attacked and conquered every subsequent training program that I have been in solely because of the 'fear of god' that Lakes training puit into me.