Kids these days are encouraged to NOT learn to use their hands. When I was in high school, late 60s to early 70s, you were pushed to take academic courses and go on to college because so many of the parents of my generation grew up in the depression era and WW2. Most naturally wanted more for their kids than they had growing up, and a good education was the best guarantee of that. Since then the education industry figured out there was big money to be made teaching students basic things previous generations were taught in the public schools, because public schools certainly are NOT up to the level they were even 15 years ago. Chasing the "big money" degree is all part of that. Peruse the help wanted listings and you will be amazed at how many jobs require an associates or bachelors degree for positions that 20 or 30 years ago would only have required basic reading, math skills, and a willingness to work and learn.
A friend in the excavation business once told me "Find a job you like and you'll never work a day in your life". He did, and never worked a day in his 80 years on this planet.