For sure.
Ditto..my wife will be going this route... but in her case -it's the gun she learned to shoot on....she likes to shoot it... and is getting very proficient with it. We will be spending a few dollars getting a little training for her so she learns to work from a holster the "right" way.
I understand the reasons why people shy away from the 1911 as a "first gun"... but millions of GI's learned the 1911 -most as not only the "first" but for many, "the only" handgun they ever shot. If you teach the gun correctly and the student gets the basics down pat... it's as easy or safe as any thing else.