These men are fools. 

And/or they're being given terrible advice.

The only way to elevate yourself in this country is through legitimate, four-year college. You need the experience, you need the peer group. Anyone telling you differently is most likely uneducated and afraid. If you start working a manual job at 18, it's downhill for the rest of your life. 

People love to complain about college loans - if you can go to a good college, there's no better way to invest in yourself. If you aren't willing to invest in yourself, then good luck with the myriad of dying industries that are being replaced by automation and outsourcing.