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Posted On: 06/04/2008

Movies, parental influence add to maintenance crisis

PlantServices.com

By now, if you are like the millions of other Americans, you have ventured out to see the latest adventure of  Indian Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." During this movie, Hollywood has depicts a critical reason why our nation is enduring a maintenance crisis: well-meaning parental influence.

In the beginning of the movie, Indy meets a young man who has dropped out of school and is considering becoming a motorcycle mechanic. Indy tells him to follow his heart and do what makes him happy.

Later, Indy discovers that this young man is his own son and he chastises his son's mother for allowing the kid to drop out of school and throw away his future on becoming a mechanic.

It's interesting how Hollywood reinforces the notion that vocational careers are OK for others kids, but our own must pursue academic career paths. That is why now we have a surplus of college-educated young people without any discernable technical skills entering the workforce. This is also why vocational workers are in demand and receive high pay.

I say no "Hooray for Hollywood" on this one. It's interesting timing because we are still waiting to find out the cause of the fire that decimated part of Universal Studios. Wouldn't it be ironic if it is determined to have been caused by an electrical problem?

E-mail Contributing Editor Joel Leonard at leonard.joel@mpactlearning.com.