I do a lot of poaching myself, and am ruthless about it.
The less experienced people in my shop are not “entry level” - they have at least 2-3 years of experience and a quantitative MS or PhD. We pay them well, and so I can select the best.
Good to hear! Like I said, I respect what you’re doing. Many industries seem to b against that. Check the plant I am at now has tuition reimbursement, but saw that if you take advantage of it, it is a carrier ending move. HR views it as you are looking for a new job, and they don’t want to train the competition.