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Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

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Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#11

Post by BluePen7 »

It's funny, in high school due to social perceptions I didn't align myself with the "shop kids", and took exclusively computer-based electives.

It's led me to a lucrative career in programming, but now all my hobbiest time is actually spent learning the same hands-on skills I would have gotten in shop class, I love doing automotive repairs, I even learned how to fix my own AC system, and want to learn to weld.

Electrical is the tricky one because it's the one with the most consequences for mistakes. I wish there was a "electrician lite" night school or something.

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#12

Post by NotYourLawyer »

BluePen7 wrote: post #11

It's funny, in high school due to social perceptions I didn't align myself with the "shop kids", and took exclusively computer-based electives. It's led me to a lucrative career in programming, but now all my hobbiest time is actually spent learning the same hands-on skills I would have gotten in shop class, I love doing automotive repairs, I even learned how to fix my own AC system, and want to learn to weld. Electr…

This is pretty common. If you sit at a desk typing all day, you get home and want to do something physical.

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#13

Post by vkou »

jeiden wrote: post #2

We'll be short 1M electricians by 2020. Bringing vocational training back into high schools will help us ditch fossil fuels, bridge the skilled workforce gap, and empower more young people to succeed.

So, when will wage growth cover that 1M gap? It's 2023, already...

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#14

Post by munificent »

BluePen7 wrote: post #11

It's funny, in high school due to social perceptions I didn't align myself with the "shop kids", and took exclusively computer-based electives. It's led me to a lucrative career in programming, but now all my hobbiest time is actually spent learning the same hands-on skills I would have gotten in shop class, I love doing automotive repairs, I even learned how to fix my own AC system, and want to learn to weld. Electr…

My pandemic hobby was dabbling in electronics building synthesizer modules.

You can learn a whole lot about electricity by working on small low voltage projects like that without any risk of harm to yourself.

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#15

Post by skullone »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #7
ecshafer wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electricians and HVAC don't make minimum wage. I know HVAC workers making $100k a year in a LCOL area, which is more than many people with degrees or master's degrees make. Many of these areas require certifications as well, so you can't just have any person do it (if you are doing it legally).

Plumber in the midwest I use for some properties just let me know their new rate is $160/hour. My electrician is booked months out. I had to trench 24-30" deep and lay 4" schedule 40 non metallic conduit (PVC) ~120 feet myself to upgrade the service entrance at a new property.

I like your username. I too had to trench for new utilities, and remodel half my house myself because no trades are available in time for movein

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#16

Post by browningstreet »

BluePen7 wrote: post #11

It's funny, in high school due to social perceptions I didn't align myself with the "shop kids", and took exclusively computer-based electives. It's led me to a lucrative career in programming, but now all my hobbiest time is actually spent learning the same hands-on skills I would have gotten in shop class, I love doing automotive repairs, I even learned how to fix my own AC system, and want to learn to weld. Electr…

Both, he tried to tell us…

Brian: I'm a **in' idiot because I can't make a lamp?

Bender: No, you're a genius because you can't make a lamp.

Brian: What do you know about Trigonometry?

Bender: I could care less about Trigonometry.

Brian: Bender, did you know without Trigonometry there'd be no engineering?

Bender: Without lamps, there'd be no light.

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#17

Post by passwordoops »

jeiden wrote: post #2

We'll be short 1M electricians by 2020. Bringing vocational training back into high schools will help us ditch fossil fuels, bridge the skilled workforce gap, and empower more young people to succeed.

Cool this guy has a time machine!! When you get back, put all your money in GME, but sell everything on January 17, 2021

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#18

Post by fn-mote »

Just read the recent HN reponses to "The skilled trades haven't caught as a career choice [...]" [1]. Until an article addresses that, it's just wishful thinking.

This article does address the push for all kids to college. Read comments at [2] as well.

Very useful comments about the barriers to entry: [3].

My own biggest concerns would be:

1. Popular anti-union perception: bad for recruitment, and bad once you're in.

2. Need to be in good financial shape by 40 so you don'

I recently read a long thread explaining how hard it is to apprentice to an electrician, and how only the people at the top who own their own companies are really making good money. Too much work too dig it out.t ruin your body.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34262345 [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34263317 [3]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34273605

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#19

Post by cinntaile »

cptcobalt wrote: post #6

I work in renewable energy, and have started to get my hands on electrical work here and there—this is a serious space of opportunity for people starting their careers. Not every job needs to be (nor can be) a desk job, and with the advent of AI tools, you'll still have many hands-one roles in the field. Much of the difficulty of getting solar and home battery storage (like Powerwall) is because there is such a short…

Installing solar och batteries yourself is not legal in most places I presume. It's not here at least.

Re: Shop Class 2.0: Rethinking High School to Accelerate Electrification

#20

Post by rolph »

BluePen7 wrote: post #11

It's funny, in high school due to social perceptions I didn't align myself with the "shop kids", and took exclusively computer-based electives. It's led me to a lucrative career in programming, but now all my hobbiest time is actually spent learning the same hands-on skills I would have gotten in shop class, I love doing automotive repairs, I even learned how to fix my own AC system, and want to learn to weld. Electr…

part of the shop class electrical curriculum, was the initial safety demonstration and hotdog buffet afterward.

https://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~lecturedemonstrations/Composer...

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