<p>Well, rather than trade schools, rather like grade eleven and twelve “non academic” programs + college, in Canadian terms. While most students on College Confidential are extremely high-performing, the vast majority of American high school students aren’t. As many as 1/3 need remedial instruction (what in Canada would effectively be grade 10, 11, and 12 work) in English and Math. Those aren’t really interested in their studies but figure they need a college degree to get some kind of job, hence the idea of “business by default”.
In the US, “academic” (liberal arts) subjects are valued by employers too, provided the students have had internships.</p>