It would also help to reduce the "path dependence" problem by increasing the ability to tranfer courses between "vocational" training and "academic" training. Not to say you should necessarily get credit towards a B.S. degree for, say, a Welding course... but to the extent that it's possible, the English, Math, etc. should be as easily transferable as possible.

Why? So if you chose one option you aren't so tightly "locked in" later in life, if you desire a change (in either direction).

I happen to be a boiler-maker / welder by trade. My last non-fabrication job was at an ISP doing project management, programmed maintenance, and fault response. I got the job because of my trade background. I've had to move to a ~100k population centre in another state so I'm back doing fabrication and getting paid a lot more for it.

Yea, that is so true. When I was in my 20-40's the thought of sitting at a desk doing Anything felt like I was wasting my life. My father always said, 'I want a job where I spend the first hour at a desk--the next seven anywhere else.'.

It's the Ragusnik problem on a different scale.

never having heard of that before, I did a search and came across this wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strikebreaker_(short_story)

I'm guessing this is what you're referring to, I found the idea interesting. Do you know where I can get access to this story? I'm willing to pay if necessary.

It appears to be part of the book Nightfall and Other Stories.

Amazon has it: http://www.amazon.com/Nightfall-Other-Stories-Isaac-Asimov/d...

A PDF seems to be available online as the first Google result for it: https://www.google.com/search?q="Nightfall+and+Other+Stories...

It's in the book 'nightfall'. Should be still in print.