A collaboration between the DARC and VDE is the lead article in the September edition of CQDL. The intention is to drive interest in electrical engineering amongst the youth by using #hamradio. I think the idea is great but am worried about the practicalities. I fear that there is a huge disconnect between their target market and their image.
According to a user survey on my Blog, 30% of respondents intend to retire in 10 years. From the companies they work at, only 40% have an apprenticeship program. According to the article, in Germany only 3% of school leavers choose to study electrical engineering. Only a few Universities in Germany offer a curriculum that if sufficiently RF orientated. All in all, this means that there are fewer entrants than veterans.
When at your next #hamradio meet, count how many teenagers there are (voluntarily)? Ask a few people if they've built any of their equipment? If you have teenage children, bring them with and ask their opinion. See my point about connecting with the target market?