That's simply not true. I agree that that is how it should be. But the vast majority of companies hire by key/buzzwords on a resume. You could be the greatest coder in the world but if you don't have "10 years Visual X+#" you won't even get past the HR screen. Everyone loses in that scenario, you don't have a job, the company doesn't have a worker. Sucks, but there it is.
vast majority of companies
Based upon what data?
I've personally conducted over 2,500 interviews and hired many of them. That's what I look for. And no, I'm not in HR or a headhunter.
That applies to everyone in any field, whether you went to school or not.
My point was that while IT (which to me, means IT department, not software companies) may want those things, what they hire for are the tech skills primarily. And by tech skills, I mean a laundry list of frameworks and APIs.
The skills you mention seem to be reserved for the managers at the places I've worked.
No. What IT really wants is "problem solvers".
It doesn't matter what technologies you learned at college, high school, trade school, or from books. Whatever it is, it won't be enough anyway. You'll be expected to get to work, use what you know, and pick up what you have to. For the rest of your life.
More importantly, you will be expected to understand abstract ideas (people and tech), break down complex issues, develop effective work habits, and communicate intellegently with many different types of people. Aren't these exactly the type of things that college is for?