The needs a plan e.g we need to producing x amount of engineers, y amount of various i.t. types etc.

Those courses should continue to be free. Other courses should be charged at whatever they cost.

This would reduce the cost to the tax payer as less people do the joke courses, and the ones that do them then have to pay their way.

People from families that are tight for cash would then apply for the free courses and end up in the careers where there is most demand and hence have the best salary expectations.