New Kids on the Dock
Who killed shop class? It’s a question that’s plaguing schools around the country. Remember shop class, also called woodshop? It’s where young people donned protective glasses and learned how to plane wood and use a bandsaw, among other skills. Essentially, it was hands-on learning—and it was as prevalent in public schools as math or science.
Experts are calling the mass exodus of aging skilled laborers from the boating industry a “silver tsunami.” How do we combat such a phenomenon? Without garnering the experience to build things using your own two hands, and without the proper motivation to even pick up a hammer, it will surely be difficult. If we want to ensure a legacy of skilled workers, we need to provide young people with a roadmap to success. Along Washington’s Puget Sound, a rich heritage of boatbuilding has embraced these principles and found a way to make
