An example of a long feedback loop is studying for 4 years and then trying to find a job.
A shorter feedback loop would be try to find a job first, see what is in demand and learn these skills as fast and cheaply as possible in a months rather than years.
Yeah, much better. Trades are good for at least working to learn in part. Imagine a world of jobs where the education was part of the job training. Maybe as unpaid interns it would work, otherwise it's bad to have your time invested in educating someone walk out for another job or different career. Contracts to work for X amount of years might work hehe.
In a fast changing world, unless you have a clear goal, staying static and not participating in the economy for 4 years is probably an increasingly bad bet.
If you are after a lucrative career, certain trades are pretty future proof because they are un automate-able and un-outsource-able Mike Rowe makes an excellent case for this:
http://www.salary.com/11-high-paying-blue-collar-jobs-with-mike-rowe/
Also it is a big misconception that these are "dumb" jobs, a lot of cognitive horse power is required to maintain and set up some of these systems. Case in point is aviation maintenance..., huge crunch coming. Of course that is not a cushy job and night work is a killer...