Hoopty

Once upon a time, a set of dirty coveralls meant you were going places. Maybe not a corner office, but certainly toward a stable, blue-collar life where torque specs and timing belts were more important than slide decks and synergy. Nashville, Tennessee—a city that now boasts rooftop margaritas and cowboy-booted influencers—was once a place where working with your hands meant pride, not Plan B.

For years, trade schools in and around the city served as launchpads for future techs, welders, and gearheads. These institutions were gritty, loud, and vital—microcosms of American trades education at its peak. But somewhere between the rise of hybrid modules and TikTok tutorials on how to “check your blinker fluid,” something shifted.

What Happened to Shop Class?

Remember when high schools had actual shop classes? When learning to weld or rebuild a carburetor was just part of a regular Tuesday? Yeah, that’s mostly gone. Over the last two decades, budget cuts and an obsessive push toward four-year college degrees have gutted vocational programs in public schools. Now, instead of a welder’s mask, kids get a Chromebook and a reminder that blue-collar work is “plan C.” We’ve essentially ghosted the trades at the high school level—and we’re paying the price in empty tool bays and overwhelmed service centers.

Campus Shuffle, Confidence Dip

Recently, some technical programs have been consolidated or relocated, often under the banner of modernization or operational efficiency. Translation: fewer overhead costs, more consolidation, and probably a lot less grit.

Older campuses had character—worn-out hoists, oil-stained floors, and half-dismantled engines acting as coffee tables in the student lounge. They were the kind of places that made you want to learn. The newer facilities? Well, they might have WiFi, but they also smell like PowerPoint.

Why the Decline?

Multiple reasons. The first is a generational shift: high schools have been telling kids for decades that college is the only route to success, and the idea of becoming a mechanic somehow got lumped in with failure. Never mind that a good tech can pull in six figures with experience and certifications—there’s a perception problem.

Cost. Trade school isn’t cheap anymore. Students often leave with debt, even as they’re promised “quick job placement” that too often turns into low-paid apprentice roles or entry-level lube bay gigs that don’t scratch the surface of tuition.

Cars themselves. As vehicles become rolling computers, the job becomes less mechanical and more diagnostic. That means schools need high-dollar tech, constant curriculum updates, and instructors fluent in both spark plugs and software patches.

So, What Now?

We need to change the conversation. Instead of steering kids away from the trades, we should be highlighting the absurd satisfaction of rebuilding a transmission or chasing down a phantom misfire. We should be offering trade school scholarships the same way we fund music camps. We need to show the next generation that techs aren’t just changing oil—they’re keeping the country running.

And maybe, just maybe, we need to stop closing campuses and start opening our eyes.