Luckily this aversion to sharp tools and apprenticeships hasn't't reached the mainland yet. My grandchildren all use various sharp tools at school (and kindergarten). At 8 years old one was required to have a Swiss Army penknife to take on a school trip. This chair was made by my 15 year old granddaughter at school. It is mostly doweled together and the seat part can be removed and slid into the back so it is flat for storage.
As I have mentioned before our neighbor's daughter (17-18 at the time) wanted to use my bench drill to make some parts for her final year project. She came with her own safety goggles, her hair tied back and insisted on sweeping up afterwards so had obviously been well taught at school. She is now apprenticed as a carpenter/kitchen fitter with a local firm.
A large number of people here (Switzerland) chose the apprenticeship route due to the flexibility it offers. You can start at almost any age and continue to build on the basic training throughout your career. The apprentices are considered to be useful and are not just classed as cheap labor. My employer recruits 10-15 apprentices per year spread across various technical and commercial positions.
Luckily this aversion to sharp tools and apprenticeships hasn't't reached the mainland yet. My grandchildren all use various sharp tools at school (and kindergarten). At 8 years old one was required to have a Swiss Army penknife to take on a school trip. This chair was made by my 15 year old granddaughter at school. It is mostly doweled together and the seat part can be removed and slid into the back so it is flat for storage.
As I have mentioned before our neighbor's daughter (17-18 at the time) wanted to use my bench drill to make some parts for her final year project. She came with her own safety goggles, her hair tied back and insisted on sweeping up afterwards so had obviously been well taught at school. She is now apprenticed as a carpenter/kitchen fitter with a local firm.
A large number of people here (Switzerland) chose the apprenticeship route due to the flexibility it offers. You can start at almost any age and continue to build on the basic training throughout your career. The apprentices are considered to be useful and are not just classed as cheap labor. My employer recruits 10-15 apprentices per year spread across various technical and commercial positions.
