Dear Editor:
It seems there are many university graduates looking for employment long after leaving school. However, schools like BCIT and Kwantlan college which at one time specialized in the trades are now offering degree programs. I assume they are doing so to fill a demand. Are the colleges and the high schools both missing the message, or is it merely a problem of perception? Will the youngsters of today choose a trade as a career path with or without better equipped shops at schools? Perhaps, but I submit there are shades of grey here.
The best a high school can do is to provide a variety of education in all its forms, including woodworking, auto mechanics, and metalwork, in addition to the traditional academic curriculum. To that end, I agree with the premise that schools need well-equipped shops, staffed with experienced tradespeople as teachers. School board trustees, please take note. A discussion with parents, teachers, school principals and industry seems the next step to help determine what is really needed to better serve our communities.
Ralph McDiarmid, Burnaby
