I don't disagree with your assessment on skilled tradesmen, but there was a time in the not to distant past where someone working a job at a grocery store or as a farmer or whatever job could just leave high school and support a family. Wages have not kept up with inflation and that was by design to put more money in Jeff Bezos and the Walton family pockets.

Now every path involves years of training as white collar worker or tradesman. My contention is that we simply don't have the capacity to make everyone highly skilled and offer them six figure jobs. But we need to have a way for those less motivated to make a living wage instead of just handing out money (which I not opposed to). People want to work but not everyone can work at the same level as you and me.