QFT.

I just finished my undergrad econ degree recently and was amazed by the people during the last few semesters that still didn't have a grasp on the fundamentals and applications of the topics learnt. Luckily, a prof had caught onto that and was generating about a 30% fail rate on his class by asking questions that brought together multiple concepts in more realistic scenarios/problems, and putting a damper on some of those people. It was interesting to hear how clueless those people really were...

imo the only way education gets you a for sure "in" is a red seal

companies/industries will hire you with zero real world experience but a red seal

in trades you apprentice and get field experience so i wouldn't count that as zero real world experience

I think you could of word it better...
The red seal trades program has a solid foundation but it's also just a piece of paper. When requirements are met...you still need to differentiate yourself from other peers.

This "follow your dreams" notion just keeps you day dreaming.
Have a specific career in mind...be realistic and have short term goals that'll help with the big picture.

ie.

go work in oil sands, no one cares if you've got "experiance" at least if youve got the red seal they know for sure they are getting somone at a standard level

+1 BCIT

Condensed 2 year program, no dicking around (I took the linux/win systems admin course), strict work-like attendance audits, 70% passing grade (not a problem if you do your work) and most importantly, you are placed in many work type scenarios and problems. Not just theory, it helps you get you on your feet. Of course nothing beats actual work experience, BCIT just help you get there faster.