The good confinement and stability of JET hybrid plasmas strongly depends on the optimisation of the q-profile at the start of the high b phase. In experiments so far this has been achieved using a plasma current 'overshoot' before the main heating phase. But this technique has limited applicability for high current operation in future devices like ITER due to limitations on the flux consumption and potential disruption forces. Therefore plasma simulations have been performed to investigate alternative techniques for the q-profile formation. The analysed techniques include: a monotonic current ramp up, current 'overshoot', plasma volume variation and off-axis non-inductive current drive. The current diffusion has been modelled with the TRANSP and JETTO transport codes and the results compared with simulations of a reference current 'overshoot' scenario. The main goal of the analysis is the minimisation of the magnetic flux consumption constrained by the requirements of the q-profile shape and MHD stability of the plasma with respect to external kink-modes before the main heating phase.