Young People Get Hands-On with Real Skills
Tuesday’s workshop in Henderson wasn’t your typical classroom scene. Kids who’d never picked up a power tool were suddenly building real structures, their faces lighting up as wood turned into frames under their hands. The excitement was hard to miss.
The event was hosted by the Shop Class Foundation, a Henderson-based nonprofit that’s teaching high school students how to build tiny homes right from their 25,000 square foot facility in East Henderson. The foundation has a simple mission that conservatives have been calling for: get practical skills back into schools.
Popular builder Kyle Stumpenhorst led the workshop. With over 1.8 million followers on TikTok and more than a million YouTube subscribers, this guy knows how to reach young people. He left his computer science job after realizing the office life wasn’t for him, then spent two years learning construction from scratch by remodeling an old farmhouse.
Now he runs a successful construction company in Illinois. That’s the American dream right there – finding your own path and building something with your hands.
“It’s exhilarating. It’s very filled with energy,” Stumpenhorst said about Tuesday’s class.
“I feel like you can feel the kids’ excitement just being there. And even though most kids are pretty shy, you can bring it out of them, and then once you get them kind of moving, you see that they really do enjoy being there.”
Why This Matters to Conservative Values
This is about more than just teaching kids to use hammers. It’s about creating alternatives to expensive four-year colleges that leave students drowning in debt. It’s about respecting the dignity of work – all work. And it’s about building a strong workforce without government handouts.
Shop Class Foundation president Jeff Gibson started with an apprenticeship as a teenager and graduated high school with his journeyman card in carpentry. Today he runs a multi-state construction company. That’s the kind of path we need to open up for more young people.
The program works with four Henderson high schools:
- Pinecrest Academy
- Lake Mead Christian Academy
- Green Valley Christian
- Green Valley High School
Students don’t just learn theory – they build actual tiny homes from start to finish. These homes get sold, putting money back into the program. It’s self-sustaining, not dependent on endless government funding.
Governor Backs Skilled Trades Training
This push for hands-on education fits right into Governor Joe Lombardo’s workforce plans. Since taking office, he’s made workforce development a top priority. He understands that Nevada needs more than just casino jobs.
His latest economic development bill would create a program providing stipends to employers for reimbursing employees who teach part-time in career and technical education. That means experienced workers could pass on their skills without leaving their jobs completely.
The Growing Demand
According to new survey data from Metabo HPT, 97 percent of Americans say it’s important for high schools to bring back shop class or similar programs. The demand is clear. Parents want options for their kids. Employers need skilled workers.
The Associated Builders and Contractors estimates more than half a million additional construction workers are needed to meet demand in 2024. More than 40 percent of tradespeople are older than 45. We’re facing a massive shortage as these folks retire.
Critics might say we’re steering kids away from college. They’re missing the point. As of 2022, almost 22 percent of Nevada’s workforce is considered “blue-collar” workers – a jump from 10.3 percent in 2016.
These jobs pay well. A pipefitter who recently graduated from a local apprenticeship program said he was making more than the $75,000 he would have earned as a mechanical engineer.
What Makes This Different
The Henderson workshop shows what’s possible when you cut through red tape and let people teach real skills. Shop Class Foundation co-founder Jeff Gibson said the foundation has been able to expand its reach by 300 percent this year with support from partners like Metabo HPT. That’s private enterprise stepping up, not waiting for government permission.
One student in the program talked about how she used her new skills to rewire a light in her kitchen.
“Even if you don’t want to go into construction, it’s super helpful,” she said.
“There was even a point throughout the year where I had to rewire a light in my kitchen, and I knew how to do that because of Shop Class, so it was just super helpful.”
What You Can Do
Support local programs like the Shop Class Foundation. Push your school boards to bring back vocational education. Tell your state representatives you want more career pathways that don’t require massive debt.
Connect with businesses that offer apprenticeships. If you run a business, consider creating apprenticeship programs yourself. Most importantly, change the conversation. There’s no shame in working with your hands. These jobs built America, and they’ll keep building it if we give young people the chance to learn the skills.
The kids at Tuesday’s workshop got it. They’re building frames today, but tomorrow they could be building homes, careers, and futures. That’s independence. That’s self-reliance. That’s exactly what conservative values are all about.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
