I think the program is all encompassing. There's the classroom training, the flight training, and sim training. Then the candidate would have to pass real checks with the FAA.

After that, they work in an apprentice program .. or as you suggest, trial by fire provided that they're not flying passengers ... or flying say 4 passengers or less. I don't know .. something to the effect.

I agree with you, people will always make stupid mistakes and will thwart the best training in the world.