logo
Skilled trades are making a comeback in public schools

Skilled trades are making a comeback in public schools

Remember Metal Shop and Auto Shop?
The kids taking those high school classes were building practical skills (and sometimes instant careers) while we squishy liberal-arts types floundered to find ourselves, sometimes for years.
At some point, the big brains overseeing public education adopted an every-kid-goes-to-college ethos and vocational education fell out of favor in much of California.
But now it appears to be in the midst of a modest renaissance. A burgeoning program to teach skilled trades in the Los Angeles public schools is drawing lots of attention, including from my colleague Howard Blume, masterful education reporter at The Times for nearly two decades.
In a harmonic convergence that feels a bit like a trend, I simultaneously learned about an L.A. nonprofit offering vocational summer school that is significantly expanding, offering instruction for 600 high school students in trades like construction, welding, plumbing and solar panel installation.
Here's what's bitchin' (as we might have said when I was in high school) about this deal: Teenagers are trained in skills that could land them jobs soon after graduation. Some of them are paid right now. And the programs don't preclude going on to college if that floats their boats. (Ack, '70s patois alert.)
The L.A. schools program pays a $1,000 stipend. The other program, known as Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, subsidizes multiple campuses in teaching skilled trades. At La Mirada High School, teacher Brent Tuttle said the high schoolers helping him teach welding this summer are making $1,700. Other students are also paid to receive the hands-on training.
Welding classes at La Mirada have become a hot commodity. And no wonder. Some parents have noticed that a four-year college degree can cost $300,000. Only to produce a barista with a scintillating vocabulary.
All six periods of La Mirada High welding were jammed last year, with a waiting list of 100 to get in. Tuttle plans to add a class in the fall and hopes, with a fellow instructor, to teach welding to 200 students.
One graduate of Tuttle's classes called him recently to express thanks, saying he'd just done his taxes and reported $150,000 in income. Another graduate built his own business, with $3 million in annual sales and five employees.
And with big construction projects on the horizon — rebuilding from this year's fires and the 2028 Olympics — the market for skilled tradespeople promises to expand.
Hands-on work like plumbing, carpentry and welding also appears beyond the ever-expanding grasp of automation. 'It's getting scary what AI can do and what it can replace,' Tuttle said. 'But if you are in the skilled trades or medical professions, I think you are going to be good to go.' The program at La Mirada and the other schools is funded by Harbor Freight and its chief executive, Eric Smidt, a self-made businessman who never attended college and built a fortune selling power tools, chain saws, log splitters and other equipment.
'It's not like taking classes just to graduate,' said Seth Russell, 21, who got a job as a fabricator after earning certificates after taking Harbor Freight-sponsored welding classes. 'I was working on something valuable for a very specific trade. It helped a lot.'
Maria says, 'PEBBLE BEACH' (Love the enthusiasm!)
Linda says, 'Black point beach in The Sea Ranch. Sonoma county.'
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
Today's great photo is from Juliana Yamada at Descanso Gardens' new exhibition, 'Roots of Cool: A Celebration of Trees and Shade in a Warming World.' It highlights female artists and touches on themes of climate inequities in L.A.
Jim Rainey, staff writerDiamy Wang, homepage internIzzy Nunes, audience internHugo Martin, assistant editor for Fast BreakKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vianney forms young men for college and careers.
Vianney forms young men for college and careers.

Business Journals

time3 days ago

  • Business Journals

Vianney forms young men for college and careers.

Located on a 37-acre campus in beautiful Kirkwood, Missouri, St. John Vianney High School prepares young men for college and careers by developing their curiosity and courage to learn. With 45 honor-level courses, including AP (Advanced Placement) and ACC (Advanced College Credit), students can earn more than 40 hours of college credit while attending Vianney, beginning as early as their freshman year with AP Human Geography. FAST FACTS ABOUT VIANNEY * Drawing from more than 60 grade schools, both public and private, students gather from 70 different zip codes. * With an enrollment around 550 students, Vianney offers a 12-to-1 student-teacher ratio which promotes a personal learning environment. * Vianney graduates have been accepted to more than 300 prestigious colleges and universities across the country. * Since opening in 1960, Vianney have won 32 state championships across nine sports. * Vianney awards $2.5 million in tuition assistance annually. VIANNEY ALUMNI Business * VP HR Lockheed-Martin, John Dierkes '66 (Retired) * VP, Emerson, Pat Sly '68 (Retired) * VP Investment, Morgan Stanley, Gary Agne '77 * CEO, Novus International, Dan Meagher '79 * CFO, World Wide Technology, Steve Pelch '82 * Senior VP, Stifel-Nicolaus, Mark Matthes '82 * President, World Wide Technology, Joe Koenig '83 * COO, Smuckers, John Brase '86 STEM | Science, Technology, Engineering, Math * Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chris Bowe '73 (Retired) * Founder Clayton Sleep Institute, Dr. Joe Ojile '77 * Human Genome Project Scientist, Michael Wendl '84 * Production Engineering, Boeing, James Howard '01 * Corporate Information Security Engineer, Square, Joshua Delbert '08 * Civil Engineer, Brinkmann Constructors, Joe Hoffmann '18 Fine & Performing Arts * Founder, City Museum, Bob Cassilly '68 (Deceased) * Owner, Emil Frei Stained Glass, Steve Frei '72 * Photographer, Sports Illustrated, David Klutho '78 * Illustrator, Marvel, James Mahfood '93 * Actor, The Orville, J Lee '99 Professional Sports * President, Jacksonville Jaguars Mark Lamping '76 * NFL, Tom Mullen '70, Randy Frisch '73 (Deceased), Trent Green '88, Kyle Markway '15, Kyren Williams '19 * MLB, Neil Fiala '74, Cliff Politte '93, Nick Schmidt '04, Nick Allgeyer '14 * MLS, Connor Sparrow '12, Mark Segbers '14 * Olympics, Volleyball, Scott Touzinsky '00 * Exhibition Baseball, Savannah Bananas Noah Niznik '18 Visit to learn more!

These flying taxi companies want to soar over gridlock — for the cost of an Uber
These flying taxi companies want to soar over gridlock — for the cost of an Uber

Chicago Tribune

time3 days ago

  • Chicago Tribune

These flying taxi companies want to soar over gridlock — for the cost of an Uber

DETROIT — On a recent morning downtown, Eric Allison hopped into the backseat of a sleek six-propeller air taxi and began to explain his company's vision for the future of transportation. Imagine pulling up your Uber app, said Allison, the chief product officer for Joby Aviation, and ticking a 'Joby' option. A car soon arrives and shuttles you to a nearby vertiport. A few other rideshare folks are waiting there, too, and four of you pile into the eVTOL, short for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, along with a pilot. The 20-mile or so journey over a gridlocked city — perhaps to an airport, where you'll catch a flight — is quiet and quick, as the aircraft takes off like a helicopter before transitioning to airplane mode. After touching down, it's a short walk to your gate. The cost of this convenience, potentially shaving hours of travel time, is expected to be a fraction of the cost of a helicopter ride today. Allison said the aim is for prices on par with Uber Black, the luxury vehicle pickup service. 'The advantage of this is you get the speed, and efficiency, and quietness of an airplane, and you get the kind of runway-dependence flexibility of a helicopter,' said Allison, a former Uber executive and NASA aeronautics adviser. 'Both of these are really important for going after this air taxi market that we're designing this for.' eVTOLs are finally nearing commercial reality — at least in certain restricted environments. The Joby five-seater that was tucked away behind the new Hudson's Detroit complex earlier this month for a gathering of tech, manufacturing and defense executives was just a display model. But other aircraft from the Santa Cruz, California-based company are undergoing rigorous testing. The company recently completed its first transition flights with a pilot onboard, and hopes to transport passengers next year in Dubai. Archer Aviation, another California-based electric air taxi startup at a similar stage as Joby, also attended the Reindustrialize summit. CEO Adam Goldstein said on stage that his firm aims to sell its first aircraft for use in Abu Dhabi later this year, though he acknowledged passenger rides wouldn't occur right away. Archer is also a partner for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the company hopes to fly dignitaries and athletes around the city. 'The core concept was always, 'Where are my flying cars?'' Goldstein said. 'And the goal is to bring that dream to reality this year.' Yet there remain major hurdles to overcome for the fledgling industry — which already has watched several well-funded startups go belly-up — before air taxis are crisscrossing major cities. On the technology side, eVTOL companies are working to improve their lithium-ion batteries, given the huge power requirements necessary for an aircraft to hover, said Blake Stringer, who directs Ohio State University's Center for Aviation Studies. A number of challenges have little to do with the aircraft designs themselves, according to the mechanical and aerospace professor who has studied eVTOLs for years. More real-world testing is needed to better understand the vehicles' limits around things like heat or fog, and heavy air traffic. Costly ground infrastructure will need to be installed, like chargers and vertiports, with logistical plans developed for quick turnaround times. Air traffic control systems for air taxis will need to be established. Stringer said this new type of aircraft won't be able to rely on the existing federal air traffic control system, which is already overburdened and grappling with several accidents and close calls this year. Finally, he said, a new crop of pilots and maintenance workers must be recruited to keep fleets of eVTOLs humming. 'I would predict we're at least five years away from seeing these in routine operations, in large urban areas,' Stringer said. For the industry to really take off around the country, he added, a large infusion of government support will likely be needed. Policymakers and regulators do appear to be increasingly focused on eVTOLs. The FAA is working through a years-long process of design, production, and operational certifications with companies including Joby and Archer to ensure the new types of aircraft are safe to carry people. President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order creating a pilot program for testing 'flying cars,' a development that Goldstein said could help accelerate the approval process. 'It signaled to the FAA that this is a clear priority from the administration,' Goldstein said in an interview. 'The FAA has to decide which programs to work on — they have limited resources, and so it gives them the ability to focus on this. It also gives everybody else, all the partners, the trust that this industry is coming.' Michigan hopes to be a player in the growing drone and eVTOL industry. As Reindustrialize was going on, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a directive creating the Advanced Air Mobility Initiative, which is supposed to help the state grow its expertise in drones and eVTOLs. Among the initial projects funded: $1 million for the University of Michigan to create something called M-Air, which will include a 40-mile research skyway between the Ann Arbor campus and Detroit's Michigan Central Station to test drones and other electric aircraft. In a statement, Whitmer described an intense global competition heating up to develop better aviation and autonomous aircraft, and said Michigan could 'lead the way' for the United States. Air taxi vertiports are likely to be positioned around large cities, executives said, allowing faster trips to the airport or other local destinations. eVTOLs, as their range improves, could eventually serve as transportation between cities — in some instances, potentially adding new routes that wouldn't otherwise be profitable for traditional airlines, said Stringer, the Ohio State professor. But eVTOL companies are also increasingly focused on developing versions of the aircraft for the military. Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt said his company has been investing heavily in autonomous versions of its aircraft that are powered by a hydrogen-electric system that could stay in the air longer in a war zone. 'We think this is game-changing, being able to build autonomous aircraft that have unprecedented range and endurance, and we think this is critical to national security and defense as we look into the future,' Bevirt said on a panel at Reindustrialize. Archer is similarly developing a hybrid version of its Midnight aircraft and has partnered with defense firm Anduril Industries, which specializes in autonomous military systems. 'In the first innings of this industry, the defense side will be substantially larger,' Goldstein said. 'If you look at the first 10 years, and you look at the amount of aircraft that will need to be built … for the West and its allies, it should be quite a large number of aircraft, and so it could end up being bigger than the civil side. But time will tell.' Joby and Archer have inked partnerships with airlines and ride-hailing services, with the idea that an air taxi ride could eventually be packaged with other modes of transportation that could be booked in an app. Major car companies are also involved: Toyota Motor Corp. in the case of Joby and Stellantis NV with Archer. Both automakers have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the respective eVTOL companies and are providing hands-on support as they set up manufacturing facilities, executives said. Joby announced this month that it was doubling its aircraft production capacity at a plant in Marina, California, as it looks to build more aircraft for flight tests. It has several other manufacturing facilities, including one in Dayton, Ohio, a refurbished former postal facility that will soon manufacture and test parts, and eventually churn out as many as hundreds of aircraft per year. Archer late last year completed building a 400,000-square-foot factory in Covington, Georgia, and Goldstein said it has started making initial test versions of aircraft. For the Archer CEO, a key junction for his company and the industry's progress, in general, will be the Los Angeles Olympics in three years. Will the company's Midnight aircraft be zipping between venues, skipping over the city's notoriously hellish traffic, on a televised world stage? 'It acts as like a milestone for everybody,' Goldstein said. 'Everybody wants this to happen. … Maybe the helicopter operators don't want this to happen, but everybody else wants this to happen. So the Olympics is a really good way to show that America leads in aviation, that America is building a whole new industry, which will create a lot of jobs.'

Metro can move forward on subway car plans ahead of Olympics after deal
Metro can move forward on subway car plans ahead of Olympics after deal

Los Angeles Times

time4 days ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Metro can move forward on subway car plans ahead of Olympics after deal

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority settled a lawsuit over alleged violations of state and federal law and Metro policy related to a multi-million dollar contract to update subway cars ahead of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. Advocacy and research group Jobs to Move America sued the transit agency last year after Metro awarded a contract to South Korean Hyundai Rotem, which is a part of Hyundai Motor Group, to build at least 182 new rail cars to replace much of its aging fleet. The group alleged that Metro violated public contract laws and its own manufacturing policy by not disclosing required details about worker pay and benefits, and omitting commitments to hire a workforce of at least 10% 'disadvantaged workers' for the project, which could include homeless people, single parents, veterans and others struggling in the workforce. Metro settled the lawsuit last week for $250,000, which would cover the cost of legal fees, and agreed to modify terms of the $730-million order with Hyundai, according to records, to include the requirements. The deal means that the transit agency can go forward with its initial plans. Metro said 'the delivery timeline has not been impacted' by the lawsuit. The transit agency still expects to receive 42 cars ahead of the Games, as was laid out in the original proposal. Those cars are planned for use on the D Line, formerly known as the Purple Line. The route is currently undergoing an extension project beneath Wilshire Boulevard and is expected to be completed by 2027. Another 140 cars are expected to be delivered by May 2030. The Metro policy, which includes penalties for non-compliance, was adopted in 2022 to ensure that federal and state dollars provided livable wages to blue collar workers. Metro originally tried to update the contract with Hyundai when it learned of the violations, but Jobs to Move America believed the revisions were not satisfactory. The group sued the agency and pushed for Metro to rebid the contract entirely. 'This procurement was an example of something that wasn't done well,' said Madeline Janis, co-executive director of Jobs to Move America. The settlement serves as a compromise and, according to Jobs to Move America, is a win for transparency. In addition to revising the contract with the requirements, Metro also agreed to hire an outside consultant to improve future procurement strategies and to broaden public record access around its contracts. 'It's really important that the nature of the things like public contracting and the business of government be done openly, transparently and with the highest ethics and integrity,' Janis said. 'We're very confident now that Metro will have the tools in place to spend our dollars wisely, to build out our transportation system in a way that gets the most for our money and also gives us the best results.' The next step will be to see if Hyundai complies with the new agreement. A major concern for Jobs to Move America over the contract's lack of stipulations was related to Hyundai's recent issues with U.S. employment standards. Last year, the Department of Justice sued the motor company after finding a 13-year-old girl had worked up to 60 hours a week along an assembly line in Alabama. The suit, which also named auto parts supplier SMART Alabama LLC and a staffing service, alleged child labor law violations. Hyundai said it 'took immediate action' and that its suppliers cut ties with the staffing agency. 'What this [settlement] does is it ensures that Hyundai is held accountable for spending the money — about three quarters of a billion dollars — in a way that's going to maximize the creation of good jobs and opportunities for Americans and Angelenos,' Janis said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store