I’ll have to disagree. The job of a good manager is to elevate an associate to the next level, making them more valuable to the organization. How is that different from what a professor does?
While a professor may start with something extremely raw, but as you mention it’s the work that matters and not the grade, ID can be done with an apprenticeship. No need for grades or school for that matter. How would a manager and a professor differ then?
Time is time. Some need more than others. Some will be more efficient and more profitable. And yes, more practice will make you better in most cases. Do the practice on your time, not mine. Yay capitalism.
An academic setting can allow concentration in a particular area of product development, work on color theory for the semester. A good manager can also manage associates to their strengths which may lead them to be a specialist in a particular area. I’ve got folks great at the front end and I’ve got folks great at the back end. Very similar to an academic setting with the only difference that a newb has no clue what and what not are their strengths.