I got my first programming job in high school after about a year of learning how to do the job. I certainly wasn't the world's best programmer, and have improved significantly over the years, but I still was able to get the job done.

The problem, as highlighted by your post, is that companies only want to hire the best of the best. I understand why, but it sets us up with a situation where even those who know how to program (poorly) cannot find work, exacerbating the talent shortages.