The system here in Switzerland is pretty cool in regards to the trades. Everyone goes to school for 9 years, and then, based upon grades and desire, they either continue on to high school or they stop going to school and start apprenticing a trade. Going into the trades isn't looked down upon here I don't feel, it's just another viable path to learning the skills that allow one to earn a living. When people who choose the apprentice route are 18, they already have 3-4 years of experience in whatever their chosen field is.
The one downside is that's a pretty heavy choice to place upon the shoulders of a fourteen year old. I can't say for sure what I would have done if presented with that choice. Having not gone through the system myself I'm not sure what kind of guidance they are given at the time, quite a lot I hope! At any rate, the system seems to work pretty well here, the economy is functioning very well and unemployment among young adults age 15-24 is only 3.6%. In Italy, which shares a border with Switzerland, over 40% of the people in that age bracket are unemployed. Now I'm sure there are other factors involved in creating that disparity, but I think the school system here helps a lot to keep youth unemployment down.
The one downside is that's a pretty heavy choice to place upon the shoulders of a fourteen year old. I can't say for sure what I would have done if presented with that choice. Having not gone through the system myself I'm not sure what kind of guidance they are given at the time, quite a lot I hope! At any rate, the system seems to work pretty well here, the economy is functioning very well and unemployment among young adults age 15-24 is only 3.6%. In Italy, which shares a border with Switzerland, over 40% of the people in that age bracket are unemployed. Now I'm sure there are other factors involved in creating that disparity, but I think the school system here helps a lot to keep youth unemployment down.