“A good place to start might be making a high school diploma worth something again.”
Bingo!
Lots of kids are entering college who shouldn’t be there yet - because they have to take remedial classes to get up to speed. These are high school grads who should be qualified to enter college as a performing freshman. So - we’re all paying for their education twice - once at the high school level, then again at the college remedial level. Our state reps don’t seem too concerned about it, either, so change isn’t coming any time soon. The whole education system needs to be overhauled, IMO.
Any reasonably ambitious youngster with a meaningful high school diploma can find a job in the trades making good $ without taking on the debt of a college education. Jobs in the shipyard here go begging, even with a robust apprentice program.