I agree that setting up PhoneGap isn't hard, but if this is a marketing ploy... well, it worked on me. Trigger.io appears to have SMS support, which PhoneGap no longer does, so I'm going to check it out.
That said, it irks me that I'd have to pay $3600/year to support more than 2 platforms.
Don't hold back! They remind me a lot of me and my brother. At the ripe old age of 7 and 5, we started programming with MicroWorlds, and spent hours teaching ourselves from the manual so we could make simple 8-bit DOS games.
Once a month or so, we would also make a trip to the local thrift store and we would each get to pick out 1 electronic gadget (<$5 unless it was particularly compelling) to take apart. I hacked up everything from keyboards to handbag-sized cell phones. Exploring programming and electronics as a kid was a big part of my success as an adult. For a lot of people, technology is scary/magical, but it doesn't have to be that way.
It seems that getting a programming job that way only works if you know someone at the company, or the company is small. Unfortunately, in my experience with both sides of the process, you won't even be considered for a job at a big tech company without the right degree--your application doesn't make it through their first filter.