re: Is anyone else not pushing their kids to attend college?

Trades can be hard work but there is no shortage of work? Plumbing, HVAC, etc. they are begging for people like that out here. I agree with your engineering comment and if kids elect college it better be in a field that employers are actually looking for not liberal arts, communications, general studies either. My two sons were never disciplined in their school work to go into engineering so they went their own direction.