At my rural Virginia high school back in the early 80's, we took "Agriculture" class starting in the 8th grade: 13 years old.
The class had nothing to do with Ag, it was woodshop and welding, in a building adjacent to the high school. We used industrial table saws, radial arm saws, joiners, planers, band saws, large drill presses, oxy-acetylene torches, Miller stick welders, lacquer spray guns...
For 50 minutes per day 5 days per week, we had fun and learned a lot in "Ag" class.
Sadly, even then it was considered the class and direction for slow boys, or problem boys. There never was a girl in the class, they took "Home Ec" instead, learning how to cook, sew, etc.
I can't see 13 year-olds using all this equipment today...
Ag class at the high school led me to take machine shop at the county vocational school for half-days my junior and senior year. It paid off: I won the state VICA skills contest in machine shop my senior year, and got to compete in the US Skill Olympics in Phoenix in '85.
I did start engineering at Virginia Tech that fall, and even though machine shop class had put me on the path to starting and owning a shop, it made it rough academically at VT the first year or so...since I had missed several of the high school pre-requisite classes by taking making shop. (Partying and womanizing didn't help much either...tehe.)
I've never understand how I got into the VT engineering program without the proper classes...I was actually shocked when the letter came!
I guess they saw potential in the scrappy wannabe engineer/machinist??
So different from where I live. My local high school, where one of my sons graduated, about ten miles from here (I live in a rural area) still has Ag classes, which include animal biology and raising methods, plant biology and ag studies, along with welding classes, from beginner to advance, and they build things like hay racks and trailers in class every year. Plus they have a cnc lab, where they learn to program and run a cnc router (mistakes in particle board are pretty forgiving).
These same kids can also, as juniors and seniors, take classes in diesel mechanics, welding, and manufacturing tech, carbon fiber boatbuilding, and more, at the local community college, and get both high school and college credit for those at the same time.
They can then go on to better community college and university programs locally in welding, machining, and manufacturing, or even vehicle design, all at state schools nearby.
I have always hired young people and trained em, for close to 40 years now. I cant afford Union Journeymen, but I have never had a problem getting smart young people who want to work with metal, I pay well above minimum wage, and there are plenty of smart motivated kids around here. I usually hire recent grads of 2 year AA programs in manufacturing tech or welding, because they have already spent their own time and money learning the basics, and proving commitment.
We have a pretty thriving high tech manufacturing industry here in the PNW- obviously Boeing, and lots of large subs to Boeing, along with shipbuilding, but lots of small machining and fab work, wind generator towers, and lots more. Carbon fiber is big around here, biggest local employer in my county after the schools, Janicki, does a lot of carbon fiber and they have 100' capacity milling machines for nautical and aerospace stuff. They, like me, hire motivated young people and train em. They pay a lot more though...
I just drove by the local Hexcell factory, where they make composite hex sheets and other wacky things- after 9/11 they made a lot of light weight honeycomb titanium cockpit doors- anyway, they had a sign on the road- "Now Hiring, starting wage $21.40/hr."
My guess is they are having a hard time finding people that cheap, hence the permanent sign outside.
The USA is really about 7 different economies, and some of em are doing better than others I guess.
