What Does the Death of Shop Class Mean for the Future of the American Workforce?

March 25, 2020 11:48 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Across the country, fewer and fewer students are given the option to take shop class, as school systems have long been cutting them from the curriculum. Not only does this negatively impact students currently enrolled in school, but it may also reshape the future of the American workforce.

If the trend continues, quality metalworking jobs will go unfilled, while individuals will either have to pay tens of thousands of dollars to obtain a college degree or accept a lower-paying job in a different industry. When that day comes, and we’re out of metalworkers, people will fully understand the importance of metal shop class in Umatilla County, OR.

Why is shop class so important?

Don’t just take our word for it—shop class has proven to have the positive impacts below:

  • Ties into other aspects of education: Unfortunately, taking shop class away may hurt students in every classroom in school. From practicing measurements for mathematics to learning new vocabulary words for English, shop teaches skills that are applicable in other subjects.
  • Teaches life-long skills: If the class is taught well and students pay attention, they can learn skills that they carry with them for the rest of their lifetime. Along with how to work with metal, shop teaches things like tool safety that are necessary for anyone working on DIY projects.
  • Provides further education opportunities: With a shop background, students can attend technical college for further education and eventually get a high-paying job in the metalworking field. Technical colleges are far less expensive than four-year institutions, meaning these students will also be able to get out of school with far less debt.

What can be done?

Along with spreading the message of the importance of metal shop class in Umatilla County, OR, here’s what else needs to be done to bring shop class back:

  • Take legislative action: State and local governments requiring shop class to be an option on the curriculum is the first step in bringing shop back. Obviously, this is much easier said than done, but if everyone writes their local officials, accomplishing this goal is a real possibility.
  • Hire qualified teachers: Shop class can’t teach the life skills mentioned above if we don’t have the right teachers. Along with having the necessary teaching credentials, all shop teachers should have a few years of industry experience under their belts.
  • Restore student interest: Finally, we need to get students to sign up for shop class! We believe this can be accomplished by presenting them with an accurate glimpse of what they’ll learn in class and teaching them what a future career in metalworking might look like.

We meet all of your fabrication needs!

Even though neither the government nor educators seem to fully understand the importance of metal shop class in Umatilla County, OR, we do! The professionals at NW Metal Fabricators Inc. have over 100 years of combined experience in welding and metal fabrication across a wide variety of applications. Give us a call today to find out what we can do for you and your business.

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