Regardless of how well this specific program goes, we need more programs like this in high skill professions. While it may not be suitable for something like an astrophysicist or mathematician, it makes perfect sense for degrees like civil engineer, architect, logistics, and many other fields.
The value of "on the job training" is almost universally recognised to the point where there are now issues where some companies won't even hire people who don't already have significant prior experience doing the job they are hiring for, effectively outsourcing that on the job training to their previous employers.
Not only does this help reduce the number of people who would graduates without any understanding of how their profession is done "in the real world", it would help reduce student debt and likely make them more successful job applicants in the long run due to additional years of practical experience.
The value of "on the job training" is almost universally recognised to the point where there are now issues where some companies won't even hire people who don't already have significant prior experience doing the job they are hiring for, effectively outsourcing that on the job training to their previous employers.
Not only does this help reduce the number of people who would graduates without any understanding of how their profession is done "in the real world", it would help reduce student debt and likely make them more successful job applicants in the long run due to additional years of practical experience.