I can't speak from a UK perspective, but from a US perspective, I wouldn't assume that your child's experience in the job market will be the same as yours - at least, not up front. The job market for someone with 30+ years of experience isn't at all the same as the market for new grads - even if you're willing to do the same work for the same money, because employers assume that you aren't *truly* willing to do the same work for the same money.
I also can't speak from an IT perspective, but from a US accounting perspective, freshly-minted CPA-eligible college grads are a hot commodity, even from 2nd or 3rd tier schools. Particularly if they're young 20s and without family commitments (so happy to relocate and/or be 100% travel), but I know of 40-something women with elementary-aged children who got offers. Between SOX and IFRS, the auditors and industry need all the fresh meat they can get, and they're fighting over the same pool.
Truly though, if my DD7 had an interest in learning a skilled trade, I'd be supportive of that interest. The school system here is such that she could both get a university degree (I'd suggest in something like business) and training in a trade, the combination of which would prepare her to do more than "just" practice the trade. Skilled trades are good work, but just as dependent on the vagaries of supply and demand as any other work - plus she might not want to be crawling around in the muck at age 60.
