I'm a big fan of vocational schools, not just because of the level of debt that you must take on to go to college but because the skills you learn at a vocational school will be skills that you will need and use in a time of Collapse. Still there is a stigma to a child's decision to work with their hands.

The Stigma of Choosing Trade School Over College - When college is held up as the one true path to success, parents—especially highly educated ones—might worry when their children opt for vocational school instead.

"Many jobs now require specialized training in technology that bachelor’s programs are usually too broad to address, leading to more “last mile”–type vocational-education programs after the completion of a degree. Programs such as Galvanize aim to teach specific software and coding skills; Always Hired offers a “tech-sales bootcamp” to graduates. The manufacturing, infrastructure, and transportation fields are all expected to grow in the coming years—and many of those jobs likely won’t require a four-year degree.

This shift in the job and education markets can leave parents feeling unsure about the career path their children choose to pursue. Lack of knowledge and misconceptions about the trades can lead parents to steer their kids away from these programs, when vocational training might be a surer path to a stable job."

A follow up article to read too: The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone - Students don't seem to be getting much out of higher education.