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Originally Posted by ryans65
This is simply not true. They have not been given the resources or time in the shop by their parents, school or community to get engaged in the trades. Most of the programs in high school were terminated by lack of funding for the tools and equipment necessary to teach with. I remember as a kid in the 90s being taught woodworking on machines that were probably built in the early 1950s, as good as that equipment was (and still is) I could tell even then that no one cared about trades being taught in school but we sure as hell had some nice computers in the computer lab!! Their parents were probably taught that only losers ended up working construction, or auto mechanics so in order to succeed they must get a degree and become a desk jockey. The people that taught their parents are now the ones that are complaining that there's no one to work on their classic car.
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You make an interesting and important point. In my town (in MA) and the surrounding area, they has been strong upward trend in enrollment by high schoolers in vocational schools, for us Minuteman HS in Lexington. Strong to the point that there are fewer available openings for kids from towns outside the district. I agree that parents' influence plays a strong role, as does support and culture from the non-voc school system. I cringe every time I hear about parents unwilling to crush their kid's dream by telling them they won't take a second mortgage so the kid can study fine arts.