Bingo. My Dad told me long ago that to many employers it's less about the degree than it is about demonstrating the discipline to get one.

The trick is learning to think before the baggage you can also pick up in college settles in.

To some extent the education system is concerned primarily with the care and feeding of the education system, and it shows.

Certainly we turned out decent educations in the past with far fewer resources. There should be other options, too. Internships and/or apprenticeships in industries and trades would teach people most of what they need to know, but a lot of businesses probably wouldn't bother. HR departments are no less of a bureaucracy in large companies than any other, and it's just easier to put check marks on a resume.

Used to be almost a stereotype for owners to train their children into the business. Don't know how often that happens now, but at least you can give an intern or apprentice the boot if they turn out to be screwups.