Apparently there are many in the industry that disagree with you. The study I linked was done in 2012. While it was 7 years ago I don't think the business has significantly changed since then.
Here's a quote from the study:
A majority (80.9%) of individuals in industry who responded to the survey replied in the affirmative to the statement “It is important for employees in your company who are hired with degrees in industrial technology degree to have a basic understanding of machine processes.” An even larger percentage (89.5%) believe students who have been trained to use manual machine tools should have a better foundation for learning about computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools. This viewpoint is consistent with the findings of the UC Berkeley study, which found that manual processes are an important foundation for anyone learning about CNC operation.1
- Shop owners & managers wax nostalgic. They are not "wrong", but a conventional HS doesn't have time for a full apprentice program, hand files to manual climb milling of helices.
Worse - the same folks whining they cannot
get that sort of well-grounded and rounded skillset, are not willing to PAY anything realistic FOR it when it knocks on their door in-person.
Ask the PM community how that has been working, "real world". UC Berkeley is a really poor choice of authority by comparison.
Time was, you listened to Purdue, Texas A&M, Southern Illinois, Carbondale, RPI, Case/Western Reserve, Carnegie Tech, and such. Those who had fed the heavy-iron side of American Industry, most of it in the NE, mid-Atlantic, and midwest.
Modern times equivalent? Universities in CHINA.
Where an "engineer" graduated is actually a hands-on technician. A worker-bee in company-uniform jumpsuit with the skills to unload an incoming, configure, set-up, then make parts on a CNC critter.
Only a few will push the CAD/CAM at a desk that drives the product those other "Engineeers" will actually make.
Works for them.
Surely
hope there is still a much better middle-ground for OUR needs.
Regardless - the environment you have, not "wish you had", you'll have to target value-for-time and have nowhere near "enough" time at that.
Cheat. Start yee not at "the beginning", but rather set your start point right up next to the end.