The problem isn’t math and science.
The problem is that they should offer separate academic, business and vocational paths like they once did. Not everyone needs or even wants to go to college, but there is no other path. They should even put computer programming into the vocational path.
Your response is on the right path and I think filling in the classwork in the business/vocational tracks with applied math and science is the way to get the skills in there without making it appear as an insurmountable hurdle. An example would be learning the algebra and geometry skills to be proficient in doing materials estimates for construction and metal fabrication, i.e. having a hands-on component to make the connection from the physical world to manipulating it in the mind.
Computer programming is not vocational. Yes you can be taught to write programs, but I have encountered many non-college programmers who have no idea how a computer really works and subjects like memory management are a foreign concept. We don’t need programmers that can write the next best social media piece of shiite, we need people who can design complex system like the guys did in the 60’s and 70’s when we were great and sent men to the moon.