Some of the local schools have deemphasized sending unprepared kids to college to flunk out - have started partnerships with industry and apprenticeship programs again.
One of the saddest things I’ve seen on TV was a shot of a local high school where mostly minority kids were being shown how to use basic carpentry tools. It was obvious that none of them had ever held a hammer or saw before in their lives. My dad taught me - but I’ll wager that most of these kids don’t have a dad that can teach them anything beyond jimmying a car door. I also had wood shop and metal shop in school.
I used to listen to a local black talk radio station. One guy in particular. Major chip on his shoulder about whitey.
He was always complaining when he drove past a construction site he didn't see any blacks.
So he brought on a man who ran a program to teach blacks construction trades.
The guy said every semester he had 15 students. By the end of the program he said he was lucky if 2 or 3 finished the program.
You can't teach people who don't want to learn.