The return of High School tech classes

[hpman66]

With the shortages of people in the building trades in the U.S., this will come as good news. A college degree is not a guarantee of a high paying job/career.


https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/26/high-schools-reviving-shop-class-skills-gap.html

 

[hpman66]

 

[sfhogman]

Had to do that at 16 with a Fiat 500 back in the '60s. Ran over my own foot. Light car: I was uninjured and the little thing started right up...

 

[arfmel]

(Raises hand) I drove a worn out VW with a 6 volt system. We lived in Houston, where there aren’t any hills.

 

[Dan in MI]

The trick most people never learn is it works better in 2nd gear.

 

[Hvymax]

I did that with a 74 Dodge Dart for about 6 months. Fortunately I could usually find a hill to park it on.

 

[Hvymax]

With the shortages of people in the building trades in the U.S., this will come as good news. A college degree is not a guarantee of a high paying job/career.


https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/26/high-schools-reviving-shop-class-skills-gap.html

I've been saying for decades that they are doing a disservice to our children. I think Liability is one big issue. How many millions would they have to pay out in settlements for every boo boo that happens? Not to mention where are they going to find people with missing fingers to teach them???

 

[bobski]

in my day they were called trade schools.
if you showed promise, the hs shop teachers would submit your name to be accepted, and you went off to be a machinest or etc... in a different shool altogether.
being from the rust belt of new england....thats how factories here kept staffed with talent.
problem now is....the factories are all gone.
this new talent being generated here just goes somewhere else, and what jobs do still exist here, (i/e: building profession) end up going to illegals.
it was a simple life then.
you either went to trade school and got certified, or into the factory and worked as a simple laborer, went into the military, or became a bum washing dishes and mooching off others.

 

[Hvymax]

in my day they were called trade schools.
if you showed promise, the hs shop teachers would submit your name to be accepted, and you went off to be a machinest or etc... in a different shool altogether.
being from the rust belt of new england....thats how factories here kept staffed with talent.
problem now is....the factories are all gone.
this new talent being generated here just goes somewhere else, and what jobs do still exist here, (i/e: building profession) end up going to illegals.
it was a simple life then.
you either went to trade school and got certified, or into the factory and worked as a simple laborer, went into the military, or became a bum washing dishes and mooching off others.

We actually had Shop Classes. My County has a Voc-Tec but I think getting into Harvard is easier.

 

[Mobuck]

This is stuff many of us learned at home from Dad/Grandpa/Uncle. We currently live in a world disassociated with reality to the extent that many adult males can't even change a flat tire. D/G/U for the past 2-3 generations couldn't change a flat tire, jump start a vehicle, or change a light bulb. My Daughter knew more about mechanical contraptions than half the boys in her high school graduating class. My blind Son knew more about mechanical widgets than the majority of adults by the time he graduated high school. WHY??? Because I demanded their assistance and they paid attention during the processes.
High school 'tech classes' is a worthy endeavor but I question the success. MOST current teenagers can't do much unless it involves a cell phone.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

Pop starting vehicle was just part of growing up.
What really sucked was when reverse went out , and you had to find just the right parking spots.

 

[Hvymax]

This is stuff many of us learned at home from Dad/Grandpa/Uncle. We currently live in a world disassociated with reality to the extent that many adult males can't even change a flat tire. D/G/U for the past 2-3 generations couldn't change a flat tire, jump start a vehicle, or change a light bulb. My Daughter knew more about mechanical contraptions than half the boys in her high school graduating class. My blind Son knew more about mechanical widgets than the majority of adults by the time he graduated high school. WHY??? Because I demanded their assistance and they paid attention during the processes.
High school 'tech classes' is a worthy endeavor but I question the success. MOST current teenagers can't do much unless it involves a cell phone.

They have Purged all that Toxic Masculinity from Society.

 

[Chief 101]

seems anybody that is somewhat competent in any of the building trade rises to 'project manager to run the crews of rookies attempting to complete something that they just don't understand.

 

[RoninPA]

In 8th grade metal shop class we were taught how to do foundry work (make the sand mold, melt and pour the aluminum (making rock hammer handles), demold, use the metal lathe to smooth and knurl the handle), shape and how to correctly harden the rock hammer head, and how to thread the head and the shaft to put it all together. Also taught how to use a stick welder and oxy-acetylene torch to weld and braze (surprised the teacher because I already knew how to do those things (my family had a lot of auto body workers so I learned early on). Learned a lot about the metal trade.

9th grade was wood shop, learned how to use all the different wood working tool, hand and floor models, still to this day love to work with wood.

10-12th grades I took mechanical drawing/architecture class - no CAD machines or computers back in the 60's-early 70's, T-squares and mechanical drafting machines. 12th grade they didn't have a true advanced class for 4 of us so we designed/redesigned things for the school district. One assignment I got was to design a new playgrounds - not a easy as you think, you have to take into account all the state/federal safety regs and the ages of the children who will be using it.

Oh, I also had to, at times, push start cars with weak batteries. Luckily I lived in a somewhat hilly area so it was a short push to get to a downhill. I had a 1964 Chevy Impala (3 speed on column that I moved to the floor). I used 2nd as it seemd to be easier.

 

[B-O-B'03]

I am not sure about the schools y'all went to, but I remember most of the shop teachers, at my high school, were missing at least one digit

I took wood shop, metal shop and electronics shop and am thankful they were offered, skills learned are still rememberd (the woodshop safety film is still burned into my brain).

-Brian

 

[caryc]

In 8th grade metal shop class we were taught how to do foundry work (make the sand mold, melt and pour the aluminum (making rock hammer handles), demold, use the metal lathe to smooth and knurl the handle), shape and how to correctly harden the rock hammer head, and how to thread the head and the shaft to put it all together. Also taught how to use a stick welder and oxy-acetylene torch to weld and braze (surprised the teacher because I already knew how to do those things (my family had a lot of auto body workers so I learned early on). Learned a lot about the metal trade.

9th grade was wood shop, learned how to use all the different wood working tool, hand and floor models, still to this day love to work with wood.

10-12th grades I took mechanical drawing/architecture class - no CAD machines or computers back in the 60's-early 70's, T-squares and mechanical drafting machines. 12th grade they didn't have a true advanced class for 4 of us so we designed/redesigned things for the school district. One assignment I got was to design a new playgrounds - not a easy as you think, you have to take into account all the state/federal safety regs and the ages of the children who will be using it.

Oh, I also had to, at times, push start cars with weak batteries. Luckily I lived in a somewhat hilly area so it was a short push to get to a downhill. I had a 1964 Chevy Impala (3 speed on column that I moved to the floor). I used 2nd as it seemd to be easier.

Did exactly like you starting in 7th grade. In metal shop, the class made a rather intricate wheel puller involving foundry work, lathe work, forging, welding and a lot of other stuff. Even bluing the steel forged jaws by heating with a torch and dropping into used motor oil. When I was still making gun grips, I blued my grip screws that same way. I wish I still had that puller. Eighth grade was wood shop and ninth grade was mechanical drawing. Life was good back then.