I cannot stress enough how amazing it would have been to even have a shop/machine/tooling class in high school would have been.
Mentorships by yourself & others are what this country was built on.
I was lucky to figure this out after several failed attempts of work(overwork) abuse for no pay and grunt work. Seeking out individuals like yourself's; extremely versed in the trade, willing to teach, and understanding the learning curve.
Australia in particular has some of best programs you speak of. Trades that will make that country go round; plumbing, carpentry, welding, and even surfboard building. I had my best experiences there. All inline with curriculum & students (high schoolers) have the ability to further themselves in speciality schools once they complete k-12.
All I can say is that MUD is that place too! Teens like myself 12 years ago pick & file so many discussions on this forum while mentors like yourself & so many others teach the class.
It's a pretty awesome class to be apart of. Please don't stop preaching because we(the world) wants to learn!
Thanks
@woody for providing the outlet.