Whilst agreeing in principle with the apparent lower standard of student these days, and the lack of interest in aviation these days, from the area view-point I feel sorry for those on their six-week "holiday". To a newcomer at a place like LATCC it must be a totally over-whelming experience. It is an enormous warren with vast numbers of people milling about apparently at random. If the trainee gets any attention at all, it is a very unstructured "training experience", and can do no more than instill in the "victim" just how complicated the job appears to be. It should be better than this but, with the vast numbers "passing through" (never to be seen again in most cases), and the pressures on the operational staff due to NTT/OCT/ECT/staff shortages/travel days/et al, there is just nobody available to give these folks the break that they (at least the better ones) deserve.
My advice is, despite the pressure at the interview to deny being an aviation person, "come out of the closet" when you get to a real ATC environment. If you show a genuine interest in aviation you will find both ATCOs and ATSAs generally will do their best to encourage and educate you within the constraints that time and NATS management(?) will allow.
Good luck to you all - my early retirement depends on you validating !!!