Doubly so we should worry about the ability of our education system to produce technical talent. The workforce is the engine that makes everything else possible. So it should be very troubling that college attendance is down lately.
I agree. I didn't need a college degree to get into a technical role though. I only ended up getting one later in life to satisfy the need to have the paper and get past screenings. I learned very little from college and exited with no debt. I can't imagine trying to justify $80k+ worth of debt for the education I received.
Agree, but colleges aren't the only vehicle to produce a technical workforce. If the US wants to be competitive going forward, we are going to need alternate tracks for technically minded folks - think apprenticeships and certification programs in addition to our universities.
Why would any teen take the technical path when the government and corporations have spent decades making it abundantly clear that they really want cheap labor from elsewhere instead of domestic workers?
Sweet regulation comes to the rescue! Look up how much does it take to become a licensed electrician or a licensed plumber. Hands-on mechanical skills may not make you a millionaire, but frankly neither would coding skills. With a business sense and some luck, both kinds of skills can work wonders.