As a recently retired secondary school teacher with thirty years of experience, I can tell you that both guidance councilors and classroom teachers have been encouraging students to pursue the skilled trades and community college programs for decades. 

Many students are insulted when you suggest this to them, and some parents are positively outraged. 

Too many parents think their precious darlings are going to be corporate lawyers or brain surgeons. -And that's the fallback position when they don't make the cut for the NHL. 

I wish I was joking here, but I'm not.