It is easy to sit back and criticize the school system, but it takes a lot more effort and compassion to try and make things better.
This is an issue we have been discussing at our local small business owner’s group meetings.
There are about twenty of us currently, small business owners of all kinds, and we wanted to think of a way to help the local youth in a way the school system wasn’t. Working with the school board, we set up a “ride-along” program, so students could spend a day or two riding, for example, with an HVAC contractor, or sit with an auto mechanic. For me this is very important because I don’t know where I would be without my HVAC job. I never excelled in school, but when I started working with the air conditioning contractor, I finally felt like I had a direction. I was still learning, but it was in a hands-on way, one that had a paycheck attached to it, and I found myself loving the HVAC business. If I can show some of these kids that they don’t have to be the smartest kids in school to make a good living doing HVAC work or any other trade. Another thing I want to impress upon these kids is the freedom you have when you get your HVAC certification. If I wanted to pack up and move to a new city tomorrow, I could find a new HVAC job the day I arrived. I hope the program works, and we can show these kids some options for their futures!