When an educational system tends to look down its nose...

...at tech schools and manufacturing jobs, you can wind up with some very good jobs going begging for someone qualified to fill them. See Factory Shift: Manufacturers Struggle to Fill Highly Paid Jobs (Molly Hennessy-Fiske, August 14, 2006, LA Times) for a look at the difference between the myths and realities of some high-skill jobs.

hat tip: Orrin Judd