Yep, that's exactly the case. Parents know that blue-collar work is back-breaking, and they want their children to have a "better life", which they associate with a college degree and office work. The memo that this office work will sometimes pay as little as stocking shelves in Tesco has not reached them yet.

On top of that, the trade schools were criminally neglected over the past 20 years, so it's very possible to go there and not learn much practical skills...