Growing up in Canada in the '60s we had the exact same discussions.  All Canadians should have every opportunity to economically obtain any training or degrees they can accomplish and the governments should subsidize the cost of specialty training.  It might be the best long term investment a government can make and there is the problem now, the same as then.  No politician has the balls to enact legislation that rewards future citizens.
Trudeau I was the first to attack the problem aggressively and it was a lot of fun.  From the UIC Ski Team (when your Unemployment Insurance) ran out, you could choose from a terrific menu of specialities to receive free training and a cost of living subsidy, for another six months or so.  Opportunities for Youth was a spending spree for teenagers aspiring to be rock stars, astronauts, or professional party goers, if one reviewed some of the projects that were funded, based on a written request for money.  Few countries could afford such experiments.