NotroiousDUG has it partially right. Not only are the school systems chasing the possible young techs away. They are not teaching the necessary basics in class. What happened to the physical sciences. Todays young people graduating from Highschool don't know what happens to steel when heated or cooled. They couldn't begin to explain boyles law or ohms law.
I have been in this business 40 years with no hope of retirement. I can't even get my company to put together a 1/2 hour training sesion once a month. We can't hope to train younger techs unless we take the time to teach them as early in school as possible. First grade would be about right. If the manufactures had any sense they would be supplying the education system with materials to promote the business. The business of maintaining and repairing their equipment. Keeping it running so as to not chase away customers with poorly maintained equipment.
I worked at a very large company in the "Fork Lift Shop" for over 20 years. 8 years as lead mechanic. We had several thousand trucks. Every make and model sold at that time. Ya our purchasing engineer wasn't to sharp. I was approched by a upper management manager once and she said she has heard good things about me. Every one in the shops (We had 4) said I was great at teaching them when they got stuck on a job. When she asked why I spent so much time willing to train younger techs. My answer was because I was lazy. I figured the more I could teach them the less I would have to do myself. It doesn't pay to hold on to any information. It won't help you in the end.
I want to retire but I haven't taught younger techs all my knowledge. The best advice I would give a new tech is don't memorize all the specs and data about all the trucks, its all in the book. Just remember where the book is. A clean manual proves the tech isn't doing anything but parts swaping and guessing.
There are times when we don't have manuals, thats when experience comes in. If your dealership won't supply manuals or today it is probably on CDs, they will pay the price of poor quality repairs and eventualy loose the customer. A $100 manual and $25 switch is far cheaper than a $2100 rework job and the eating of a control module that now can't be returned because it is used. Our dealer will gladly sell the competition manuals. It may make them able to repair our trucks. Just means we have to be able to be better in other ways, cost and delivery of service, parts pricing to name a few.
Younger techs will have to carry the load in a few years. Us old f*rts need to pass on as much knowledge as possible. They haven't made an industrial fork lift yet that an operator can't break. They haven't made one that repairs itself. As long as man makes machines, man can and will break them. It is not cost effective yet to toss the truck out when it breaks.
Albeit there are a few relics out there that have been around much longer than I, that I would like to toss out.
I would like to see some college or business start teaching not only forklift repair but machinery repair. Perferably in the Phoenix area where I want to retire to and maybe teach!!!!! If everyone in the industry would share their knowledge with other techs in their company. We would have a much easier time of things. I know to share between dealers is asking for way too much. Nice thought though. Pass on your knowledge