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Vocational schools struggle with hands-on learning during pandemic

Posted at 5:58 AM, Nov 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-16 08:56:13-05

COLORADO SPRINGS — With COVID rates on the rise in Colorado, many teachers and students at vocational schools are now cut off from the classroom tools and professional-grade equipment they've relied on.
There's also the loss of in-person, close-up demonstrations, and the opportunity for teachers to gauge students' skills in real time.

According to industry experts, one in every three skilled trade workers across the country will be retiring within the next ten years. They don't want COVID to slow down efforts to build up a new workforce.

Danny Corwin, with Harbor Freight Tools says, they're here to help with their tools for schools program.

"We wanted to come up with creative ideas to help both the teachers and the students and the parents trying to support their kids," Corwin said. "Fortunately we have a group of incredibly inventive and genius teachers and we wanted to provide them with the tools and other supports to allow them to do what they do best."

Harbor Freight's foundation has handed out more than 36-hundred tool kits to teachers all across the country, who teach vocational classes.

"We've got to address the pipeline and we've got to ensure young people are exposed to the trades in high school and have a pathway to continue the work that they love," he said.

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