iirc many High Schools closed up their various "shops" ( wood shop, metal shop, auto shop )
In our area we have a actual trade school where students can go to vs standard school for juniors and seniors. I was pretty upset when our school announced this year that they were now no longer offering that option.
I talked to the Headmaster of our school and asked him what is going on. The whole reason we joined the school was because they offered the Tech Center, and knowing my kids, they have zero interest in going onto any socialist indoctrination institute after high school.
He informed me that the reason they are dropping the tech center is because parents pay good money for their students to go to a Christian school with values that they want their children to learn and be around, and that they didnt feel right about sending their students to a school where everything but values in general were taught. So they are working on developing a Co-Op / apprenticeship program with local businesses who share the same values that our school can stand behind.
I like that idea a lot. I have been talking with several local company and gave my pitch on the idea of taking on some high school students to work and learn. They are ecstatic. The response that I have been getting has been phenomenal and they said that they wish more schools would have programs like that