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I have heard it said that the ur-problem, the source of most other problems, in computer programming is that every lesson needs to get relearned, the hard way, every 5 years, because the average age is so young, and the excuses for ignoring the lessons of the past are so easy.

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Is it because people or so young, or that the pipeline to become a junior-but-still-responsible person goes through schools rather than something like an apprenticeship.

Both, I think. The field has grown in size, so that alone makes the young-to-middle-aged ratio skewed. Then, many middle-aged programmers drop out to become managers.

I totally agree that programming would be better taught by an apprenticeship model than the college model, and I say this as a person with two college degrees.

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