[j_col]

> provided that they've proven they can do the work and know the language(s) in question.

And that's the rub of it for me: you have to let them lose on your project in order to prove themselves capable, and you have to hope they work out, i.e. learn on the job and you guide them through it. A Philosophy or Classical Literature major has to start their IT career somewhere, right?

So we have the old apprenticeship model rather than the professional model, nothing new here.

This is fine for junior members, but breaks down hard when you move into leadership roles when the leader is unqualified (both in experience and on paper).