>Now I live in a country that buries its youth in debt that can't be discharged through bankruptcy, to pay for an increasingly ineffective education, to get a job almost anyone could do, that lists higher education as a requirement when it really doesn't have to.

You need to screen for at least a two year degree to get employees who are functionally literate for both reading and writing of moderate complexity.

There's a real steep capability slope in terms of education and information worker qualification. Most high school graduates or GED folks without specific education lack a good broad understanding AND lack vocational training. A previous employer had a specific mentorship program that had really good results with at-risk youth, but that required substantial investments in time and $.