It's a sytematic problem, but it only stays a problem when we let it. There are a lot of factors and sides to consider though. It's the fault of employers who take college graduates over non-graduates when the job doesn't require such specific education or when on-job training is part of the job description, and the way they are always trying to pay as little as they can for hard work. It's government which usually protects the interests of the largest companies so we all feel more inclined to compete. It's us for buying into the competitive narrative “Competition leads to progress", well sometimes it leads to shit. It's public (and private) education that focuses so much on test scores and building other credentials that don't really mean anything in the real world that students have no idea what they want to do with their lives.
I could keep going. Thanks for your post. I like to engage with these kinds of topics.
And thank you for taking the time to make a well thought out comment. There is a lot more to it than I put in my post. Along with what you covered I also could have gone into how education has changed so that students aren't prepared for college in high school (lacking basic skills to write and read and study). I have stories of students who could have benefited from a year off in the real world to gain maturity before entering college. Another side is choosing trades over college. My uncle who is a self-employed mechanic made more than me with a masters degree. Educating people in non-college skills is profitable but lacks social status in comparison. Oh dear...so many things that could be covered.
I am not like you in that I hated school. I learn very quickly when I have a goal and am left alone with books and resources. As soon as you throw a test into the mix, I lose the passion and get so lazy. I was getting D's in university until I started to study for subjects I would be taking next semester, then I started getting A's because that extra time gave me a lot of freedom to take an interest.