More school districts are investing in the expansion and renewal of high-school shop classes — “betting on the future of manual skills overlooked in the digital age,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
This growth trend is occurring as higher education costs rise and the threat of generative AI looms over more white-collar work.
At Middleton High School in Madison, Wisconsin, around a quarter of students have signed up for classes in new technical education facilities created as part of a $90 million campus investment program in 2022. Welding instructor Quincy Millerjohn says the school wants “kids going to college to feel these courses fit on their transcripts along with AP and honors”.
State-wide, demand for high school architecture and construction classes was up 10% year-on-year in 2022/23, while the number enrolled in manufacturing courses rose 13%.
Nationally, research indicates that about half of college graduates eventually work jobs where their degree isn’t needed.
Cost is a key barrier to schools that want to offer vocational courses – from the price of materials and equipment to the need to recruit teachers with valuable trade skills.
The Wall Street Journal
