He’s been with the company for 20 years and they basically thought he was management material but just needed to check this box and they were willing to pay for

He’s been with the company for 20 years and they basically thought he was management material but just needed to check this box and they were willing to pay for him to do it. Strong signals that this situation specifically he was already well vetted and most of this wasn’t their concern. For people starting their career with no experience and no network, yes the undergrad signals everything you mentioned.