I think, if the WSJ wants to make me a believer in "skip college and join the workforce," the can promote things like better labor laws, universal health care,

I think, if the WSJ wants to make me a believer in "skip college and join the workforce," the can promote things like better labor laws, universal health care, and a social safety net. Instead of the opposite, that is. The physical conditions of blue collar jobs vary widely. The tradesmen who come to work on jobs at my house, if they're my age, look 20 years older. Most are hobbling. Many will stop working before 60, or end up in lower paying jobs such as retail, that are less physical. They have to keep working because they have no retirement. Many occupations are seasonal, or cyclic. The construction industry is fickle. Many occupations involve mostly smaller businesses that are "below the radar" of OSHA and other regulations. Many of the smaller businesses are family owned, meaning that your chances depend on connections and favors. The ability to move up into an ownership position may depend on family wealth. Some skilled trades are nicer, such as many health care jobs, but still involve physical work. Granted I'm only mentioning the extremes, and not everybody can be a computer programmer.