I'm all for smart well educated populations but I think you're wrong about manufacturing. The Germans and the Japanese both manage to make vehicles and sell them around the world despite the enormous costs of shipping. If they can do it so can we (not necessarily with cars). And manufacturing is about to change very very significantly. 3D printing technology is really picking up speed to the point where only $5k gets you a printer able to make carbon fibre parts. Two generations from now most manufacturing (including clothing) will be custom, one off, jobs - Canada can be in on that.