pyotr filipivich wrote:

I'm finding that my "mechanical drafting" in high school, and the
intervening decades, gave me the "smarts" to know what needs to be
done, so that the technical training in the software is more along the
lines of "how do I do what I want to do, in this software?"

That's what the colleges miss. They are so intent on producing 'computer
scientists' they spend more time on the theoretical underpinnings than how
to get things done. I got an alumni newsletter where the school announced a
new degree course in games and simulations. My first reaction was
'basketweaving!' but after thinking for a moment I realized they were
actually trying to teach a specific skill set that might get the graduates a
paying job.