The NEA , et al, needs to strengthen the VO-Tech classes they killed off and get away from the everyone needs a college degree crap.
I went to CC and took Welding technology and became a pipefitter welder for 15 years. Then I went back to CC and graduated from the Engineering Tech program, that eventually led me to graduate with my Bachelors in Civil Engineering and become a Professional Engineer.
A formal college education wasn’t for me directly out of HS.
You just outlined what I believe to be a good plan for many young people, including my son (who is currently a few years younger than college-age): community college, taking a mix of vocational and academic classes; training at, say, a crane operating school; ten or more years as a crane operator; return to college to get a B.A. and on from there.