Agree and disagree...
Not just a case of 'what's most important', for some it's a matter of what they can/can't afford to do. I'm 25, almost 26, and have a mortgage...So domestic/small company/non EBA is out of the question for me. Sure you might learn more to begin with, and probably wire neater, but it evens out in the long run (got mates in domestic, mid size companies and the big boys) after around the 2/3 year mark everyone is pretty much on a level playing field...At the end of the day you'll learn as much as you want to learn. I know I've only been there 2 days, but I can tell the guys I'm working with are happy to teach me as much as I want to learn, and aren't just using me as a labourer.
As for the pay side of it, a 3rd year apprentice on an EBA job makes more than a domestic A grade, so unless you own the business or you're doing work on the side, there's no comparison in the pays.
My mate is 3rd year and on $40 an hour....