Fresno City College mechanic program - thoughts?

Just saw this article about Fresno City College's program to get students nearly certified on day one. Seems like a smart way to tackle the tech shortage. What do you all think? Is hands-on training like this the future?

I've seen a few programs like this pop up. Honestly, anything that gets more young people into the trade is a win. But day one certification? That sounds ambitious. I wonder how deep the training actually goes.

As a hobbyist, I'd love to have that kind of fast-track option when I was starting out. But for pros, there's no substitute for real-world experience. Still, if it helps fill the gap, I'm all for it.

I'm just glad to see schools stepping up. Safety is huge in this field, so as long as they're teaching proper protocols from day one, it's a good thing. Better than on-the-job training with no foundation.