President Obama made a controversial statement on education recently. He believes that the school year should be expanded. No more summer vacation and a couple more hours added to the school day.

This is obviously bad news for school age kids, and some parents aren’t happy about the suggestion either. Some people think kids are already overworked with studying and extracurricular activities. I actually don’t think it is a bad idea.

Some studies have shown that children who attend a year-long school program are more focused and actually learn more. In my opinion, I think a longer school year and longer school day can provide kids with some opportunities they don’t get any more. For example, there are some schools that don’t even have physical education any more. For a nation that has a problem with obesity, giving students the chance to exercise during the school day is probably not a bad idea.

To bring this back to the sheet metal and HVAC industry, our nation also has a problem with getting young people into the trades. A longer school year may provide an opportunity to introduce kids to a career path they may not have thought of. With so many schools working to get kids college bound, a vocational program gives them another path. Not every kid wants to go to college, and vocational programs open them up to another option. And as more and more schools cut their vo-tech programs, the trades industry loses more potential workers.

So my opinion on the school year might not be popular with school children, but hopefully it will be popular with trades workers.