How can we get technology taught in schools?

Abstract

"How do we get technology taught in schools" is a question that is increasingly being asked by those parts of our educational system which impart technical skills, i.e. vocational schools, businesses and technical colleges. It is not only because of demographic changes that technology-oriented areas of post-school education are faced with quantitative but also qualitative youth shortages. Fewer and fewer young people are choosing a technical education while the basic technical skills of future generations are decreasing. To quote an instructor of a large company: "half of the trainees we chose to have this year for the job of industrial mechanic could not even perform simple repairs to a bike"...