I dunno... I'm not sure I completely buy what you're saying. My town has two blacksmiths in it and one of them makes tools and the other does industrial applications for local farms. I could see regional instances of information being forgotten and regression occurring. But on the whole I think there are a lot of highly-skilled people out there with apprentices already working under them. Not every kid is running out to join big tech and get a career in banking. Quite the contrary where I live, most of the kids are opting to skip college (and their parents support it) to learn trades and other practical vocations.
It doesn't seem as dire as you are painting it. I think a lot of what you say will definitely happen in more densely populated areas that are already shitty.