Technical entry standards and the cost of training recruits

Do modern ships require much higher entry qualifications because they are more complex?

The complexity argument is considered overstated; longer training is proposed as a way to qualify more applicants.

Modern ships require technical skills, but Clarke disputes the claim that their complexity makes much higher entry qualifications unavoidable. He argues that some qualification thresholds shorten training and reduce its cost. In his account, conversations with service personnel suggest that additional instruction could bring more applicants to the required level. This is his criticism of recruiting policy, without a detailed comparison of training requirements for different trades.