I would tend to agree Frank, there is some truth to your point, there has certainly been a shift between the Gen X and Millennial generations as it relates to this (for a whole host of reasons). That said, I am not prepared to paint them all with the same brush and there are still some awesome kids still trying to find there way through the school system. A system that continues to promote a stigma related to trades and blue collar work and push costly post-secondary, multiple designation education as the only viable path for them. All that said, if not for the purposes of a career, we should continue to guide (the willing) and teach them for the purposes of keeping our hobby alive. Although not my cup of tea, I still see a shimmer of hope for our youth when I wander into import/tuner, time attack and drifting events. Just my 2 cents...
On the weekend I went to SUBWAY near Delaware Raceway. I asked the young guy behind the counter about something that happened there during the week. He said he didn't know anything about it as he goes to school in the States and only comes home on the weekend. I said wow good for you what are you taking. He said it's a high performance course at a College or University in OHIO. He said he used to race at Delaware and is now taking this. He said it is opening some doors too. He said he is going to MAINE with someone in his class (for a while) that is in a racing team. I was talking to the local High School shop teacher at the swap on Sunday. He said the guys name and said he has a girl in his auto body class that is going to the same University/course next year.
I work in higher education. Nothing gets to me more how people who get phd or engineer level education and then they're down on trades. I hear stuff like "only a tech" or "they fix our equipment" from people making twice the money I make. Our system is upside down and backwards when paper pushers make obscene amounts of money compaired to the guy who builds stuff. kids need to be encouraged and paid better to do things that are real, not to push paper.
I'm reading a book right now called Shop Class as Soulcraft. And it's basically about this topic. The removal of shop classes from schools, the push to move kids from hands on trades to "knowledge work" and how it's destroying us as a society.
