The Shed – April-May 2023
English | 134 pages | pdf | 80.82 MB
Welcome at The Shed magazine April-May 2023 issue
The current rash of storms and mega weather events across the country has, you would think, taught us many things. One, I hope, will be an increased encouragement for the development of workshop skills in the younger generation.
We must accept that the weather is in charge, not us — we are not even close — and when it is in the mood to mess with us, it can happen anywhere. Auckland, Northland, the Coromandel, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay were the most recent victims but anywhere in the country could be next. None of us will avoid these now-annual 1 in 100-year weather events.
I think it is accepted that most rural folk are ready, willing, and very able to sort a multitude of problems, think on their feet, and make good decisions when the unexpected turns up on their doorstep. However, most of us now live in cities — and how well equipped are the screen-obsessed, TikTokking, Uberloving, city-dwelling younger generation to deal with these situations?
I know that I am in danger of being a “well, back in my day” old bugger, but back in my day there were apprenticeships aplenty and technical streams in all colleges. Having a trade was highly sought after and respected. These days, we mostly have to import these types of skilled workers. You’d think we would have a lot of institutions turning out our young men and women as skilled and capable Kiwi tradies.
How many of your mates started as chippies, plumbers, or drain layers and are now off the tools and running their own companies? I have a mate who trained as a humble mechanic way back when but now runs an international travel company in the US — directly as a result of his becoming a car mechanic.
We need to upskill our youngsters — and darned quickly — to help themselves and our country cope with what is coming in the years ahead. The weather has changed forever — and let’s not even start with the other natural disasters our piece of paradise endures.
Changes in attitudes all around and upskilling the younger generation are now absolutely essential.
Rave over! Time for a cup a tea and a biscuit, I think.
Greg Vincent
editor@the-shed.nz
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