If I am an employer, I'll based it first on attitude then next is skills. I don't mind which school and wherever they have come from because it will reflect on their attitude.
When you employ base on skills in your company, it will reduce your spending on workers salary and increase your income from the company, which is the wish of every company owner not to spend much on workers salary, those that are skillful last longer in a company compare graduate that just graduated from school looking for company that will be paying employees huge amount of money from the company which is difficult for such employees to stay long for the company to make progress, than to focus on their goal from the company, it will be difficult for those that are skillful to make trouble with company that employed them to get weekly income, but graduate don't take that shit from any company that misbehave to them because they know all the rules that governed employees and employers.
employing the right person is key a fundamental to the growth and success of the company just like you have said employing the right person will help even financial.
Both school and skill has their own place in the life of any individual so it up to the person involved to choose whether it's school or skills but skill is one thing that this generation has come to learn and embrace