What are the best Product Designer qualifications and training to get ahead?

What is the best training for becoming a Product Designer? What types of ongoing training or certifications are necessary to be an effective Product Designer?

What do non-traditional career paths look like?

I have seen many degreed people, people with certification on paper, yet did not have the ability to develope a product from scratch or see the real cause of the problem
your best training is learning how things work and what makes them work, stick yourself into situations where you can analyse the process and what you would do to make it work
training - on the job, company (product) sponsored seminars, working in the shops if possible
guess I would rather be a good/fast/skilled/knowledgeable designer
then an effective designer
traditional vs non-traditional all depends upon your defination
when I worked with guys who developed the idea and mocked up a prototype machine in their garage, or the lab guy who explained the problems with his current instruments and how ineffective they were, or when the engineering (degreed) boys want you to put 10 pounds of stuff in a 4 pound bucket
its all what lands in your lap and how you look at it that makes your design work

I am thinking to pick A level Product Design and English Lit and BTEC Biology for my first year in post 16. I am currently in year 11 and want to do a product design degrre. Will these option be for the degree.

Thanks

Regards

Jess