Trade school curriculums - how could they be better?

CharlesKuang · October 30

Curious if folks have any ideas on how the trades could be better taught. I'm looking at plumbing programs here in New York City and a lot of them are half theory/half hands-on. The ones I'm looking at are 900 hours, so that's like 450 hours of Zoom (does not sound fun).

GGross · October 30

Apprenticeships through union are the best way that I have seen. It's a commitment on par with college typically but you are working and being paid the whole time and when you are done you have options. Being union affiliated has some big advantages if for nothing else than the experience you get.

pecmsg · October 30

https://ua.org/join-the-ua/find-a-local-union/

hot_rod · November 1

a good friend was a teacher at a community technical college for many years, solar and hydronics

Before he retired a few years back he noted a majority of the 1st year students could not solve a basis math problem. That makes for a steep hill to climb for plumbing and heating students. Maybe some better testing and prerequisites

mattmia2 · November 2

i mean the kids that understood math the way schools teach it become engineers. you're going to have to teach it the other ways the primary and secondary schools don't have the resources to

Larry Weingarten · November 2

Hi @CharlesKuang , One thing that seems to be missing is money smarts, or education on business fundamentals and financial literacy. Knowing these things is just as important as knowing the trade work. We need both.

Yours, Larry

JUGHNE · November 2

What resources don't the primary and secondary schools have access to?

Just textbooks and teachers are all that is needed.

My financially strapped school district offered Algebra 1 & 2, geometry, trigonometery, and the beginning of collage level calculus. (late 1960's).

Having taken all of these prepared anyone for any trade school math.

mattmia2 · November 2

the textbook explains it more or less one way. there are many other ways to explain it and many different algorithms for that matter. if you don't get that particular way you probably aren't going to learn much math in the school systems. different people learn different ways and most school systems don't have the time to explain it different ways to different people.

hot_rod · November 2

Have you been in a grade school classroom lately? Mayhem! Any education received may be pure luck.

I believe in this day and age more than ever it is incumbent on the parents to assure the students are actually learning.

Intplm. · 11:19AM

"How could they be better?" Have the administration and the faculty working together for what's best for the students. If you find that school, you have won.

Mad Dog_2 · 11:56AM

I can only speak of my trade school education which was First Class: Plumbers Local 2 Four Year Apprenticeship, Manhattan & Bronx . We went to school for a full day, every other week and worked side by side under seasoned, Union, Journeyman plumbers.

Along with shop class, we did mechanical drawing, code and theory. As far as Math, it was kept extremely simple...only the important formulae that we were expected to use every opportunity we had.

By the end of 4 yrs, converting decimals to fractions and vice versa, 1.41 for a 45 degree offset, rolling offset, takeoff, et al where ingrained and second nature. Most importantly, we were taught the quick, fast and dirty Rules of Thumb...not long , complicated math problems that Blue Collar guys to sleep 😴. Mad Dog

hot_rod · 2:35PM

There seems to be a lack of qualified teachers in general these days. Average teachers wage in my area is $19.62 per hour. Costco average around here $21.00.

I have visited a number of Union training centers across the US. I've been impressed with the staff and students. They get a lot of industry support also, $$ and products.

They seem to have the training formula worked out, partnering with local contractors for hands on work.

Trade school curriculums - how could they be better?

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