Curious to your thoughts . Please keep this un-political as per the forum rules .

mmcmdl

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Your thoughts on re-instating vocational trades in high schools ? I found the trades as a way to succeed in life . I have to wonder if these were re-introduced back into the schools , would they be supported by industry or would their even be interest in these trades ? I know Pa and NY are very much promoting trade related careers . Md not so much . We seem to struggle with new hires . I see this as a good thing , but others may not . What are your views , concerns , comments . PLEASE ! Keep this un-political , as this is a friendly site , and any and all posts will be deleted .
 
I fully support bringing vocational trades back into high schools.
I think that urbanization and a focus on high tech education has reduced the awareness that trades actually exist.

Years ago I read a book written by Stanley Pollan "The Millionaire Next Door" It is a study of millionaires in the US.
A few things stood out for me:
Most popular vehicle with US millionaires? Ford F-150
Most common profession? Tradesperson.
'nuff said

Not that I'm saying money is the be all and end all.
 
I'm very supportive of the idea. Even just having some basic "shop" classes brought back would be nice. When I went through HS, they had discontinued most machine shop (lathe, mill etc.) due to a combination of liability and lack of an experienced teacher.

The production manager of my former company often complained about the lack of very basic knowledge of his new hires. He ended up quizzing potential hires with difficult questions such as: "Show me on this ruler 13/16 inch." His informal statistic: 70% could not do it and roughly half that did answer correctly had to count up the 1/16's from zero vs. knowing what the different length marks meant. I know this isn't the same thing but the question brought that back to mind.

In my small home-town, there is a vocational-technical school right beside the high school. Many of the students do the basic high school classes at the HS and spend part of the day learning a trade at the "voc-tech". Then, after HS graduation, their classes would continue at the vocational school. It works and they have expanded to many other trades from mechanic training to medical office admin to welding to bloodletting (phlebotomy).

So, it exists in some places still.
 
I'm not sure that logic works. I own an F150, should I be a millionaire?
It wasn't logic... just what he discovered in his research. Sadly I don't think the relationship is causal :)
 
It wasn't logic... just what he discovered in his research. Sadly I don't think the relationship is causal :)
With today's prices definitely not causal. Other research seems to point to Buick's as the vehicle of choice of frugal millionaires.

Re; The actual topic, apprenticeships in a long list of trades should be encouraged and actively recommended. Even more important is paying the apprentices a decent wage (I think some are treated a little more than slaves) and not having them under mandatory union control. They can make that choice later.
 
I have two nephews in high school and one tells me about a class he takes which teaches him about cnc programming. They don’t have manual machines but they design program and build a project so I guess that’s good.
I know when I graduated in 96 my school was fazing out shop classes. I had woodshop and mechanics which was getting familiar with engines and building cars and maint. Items. We had a full machine shop sitting idle that wasn’t offered couldn’t give a reason why. When I was in school they pushed college and didn’t give a lick for students that weren’t interested. Looking back I started in the carpentry trade right out of HS making 20 bucks a hr full time and kept moving up till I changed trades because I wanted a year round work no lay offs. I’ve never been unemployed and make good money no regrets.
I’m in charge of hiring mechanics for my company and I can confirm that it is very hard to find anyone with mechanical knowledge. Even trying to get them to show up is a challenge then to work it’s asking to much for these snowflakes. Ihave better luck finding retired people and working them part time but that’s not a long term solution.
While I have friends that went to college wasted their parents money maybe got a degree in something in debt got measly jobs not for what they went to college for and still cry about loan payments.
I think that not everyone is for college. I have friends in every trade and they make a dam good living. You get what you put into it also. I have coworkers that are content with showing up late not putting in any effort, cry about the other guy and wonder why they passed over come raises. You gotta want it to get it but they’re alittle younger than me about the age we’re they started with no one is wrong and everyone is a winner expect everything type.
 
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I'm afraid that when we allowed cheap imports to dominate our country, that the party was (nearly) over, the potential jobs that were created and aided by school training are largely gone, and few teachers are being educated to bring it back, even if jobs were available; it is not going to be easy to un-ring the bell. I personally went through the school shops, and subsequently apprenticeship in a shop that is long gone in a plant that is also long gone in the steel mill industry (ditto); no regrets on the path I followed.
 
At the very least, there should be shop classes taught in high school. Wood shop, auto shop, metal shop - these were the courses that taught us which way to turn a screwdriver and how to change you oil or do your brakes. These classes teach self-reliance, not just shop.

As for vocational training in HS, I'm not sure they would do an adequate job of it. Perhaps vocational training in a Community College would be more appropriate. Sadly, most of this type of training is gone and what there is deals mostly with CNC. If industry is willing to back these schools and provide jobs for graduates then it might work. That's a big IF.
 
Not everybody is mentally wired to go to college and get a degree in something that pays well. The trades are a great way to have a career that provides a great income and is rewarding. So yes, a road to that career path should be offered in high school, and post high school education. Bring in retired tradesmen to run the programs. My high school metal shop teacher was a retired machinist, worked out well for most who took his class.
 
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