That’s a pretty jaded way of thinking about it.

Universities don’t exist to train you for a job, they exist to teach you how to learn. That’s why you take a bunch of seemingly irrelevant classes, such as history, science, and English before you get into your specialization. Basically, half your education is unrelated to your specialty, and much of the rest is theoretical since you’re expected to learn what you actually need in the field.

At the end of the day, most jobs don’t require formal education and they’re happy with practical experience. But most companies won’t hire you wlfornyour first job without some indication you know what you’re doing, and companies trust university degrees as that form of evidence. After your first couple jobs, they really don’t care as much about your formal education.

There are other ways to get that experience, they’re just a lot harder than going through formal education. I’ve hired self taught people that have been fantastic, it’s just a lot harder to prove yourself.

That said, I wish there was a better way to tell kids what other options are. Everyone seems so focused on traditional university education that they don’t consider alternatives.