Of course he/she has a shortcut, and for a good reason: they are specifically trained for the subject. So you can trust them to have the knowledge, even when they are young. Universities have the role of "trusted 3rd party" and a degree is proof.

Of course people without a formal degree may have the same knowledge (or more?) , but they will have to convince the managers by other means than a framed diploma.

Frans Rip, Wageningen University, the Netherlands