Shop-class smarts

Omaha World-Herald: Kudos to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Metropolitan and Southeast Community Colleges. The two community colleges are teaming up with UNL to strengthen industrial technology training.

Students will attend Metro or Southeast for their first two years, receiving their technical education and earning an associate’s degree. Then they’ll study teaching techniques at UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources while earning a bachelor’s of science degree in agricultural education. More community colleges may join the effort over time.

Boosting the quality of this training is needed for two key reasons.

First, technology in auto mechanics, manufacturing and construction is fast evolving. Students need to understand computers and sophisticated diagnostic tools. They need more than rudimentary math skills.

Second, many teachers in these fields will be retiring before long, and competently trained successors will be needed to take their place. Around 115 of the state’s 576 teachers in auto mechanics and other industrial arts have more than 30 years’ experience.