Every profession has some level at which you don't need a university degree to work. For example, the medical profession has paramedicals. Civil engineering have civil engineering technicians. This is the kind of difference that has not been made in the software engineering profession, and would make life easier for everyone. If you just want to be a programmer, get a job at that level without the need of a university degree. The CS/Comp.Eng. degree, on the other hand, should prepare people not just to program but to design and manage complex software projects.