The best new hires tended to be young guys who came from part 135 charter, flying 6-10 passengers as PIC, sometimes with an SIC for insurance requirements. That teaches/requires/weeds out those who don't adapt the skills needed to succeed as a 121 FO/CA.

Wanna really throw a bone to the 135 industry/send a blue collar middle finger to the universities who rigged the current carveout? Add a requirement for 500 hours Part 135 PIC hours to get the ATP license. Mandate the stepping stone.

To add weight to that crazy idea... it's kinda crazy that you can get a commercial license, then do part 91 flight instructing, which doesn't really move your boundaries or area of operations from your flight training days, and have those hours count towards airline transport. Like, the experience requirements for ATP should have something to do with airline operations, ie small passenger or cargo operations.

Surely the dying 135 industry could thrive once again if every CFI had to come through their establishment and get some experience before qualifying for large airline ops. The way it used to be.