To The Editor:Remember the bitter cold of the past few weeks? Picture the Warrenton Walmart parking lot around 2 p.m. with the temperature hovering around 5 degrees.Of course, that’s when my car battery went dead. With some coaxing I was able to limp my car to Auto Zone where a delightful young woman smiled, braved the awful weather, and replaced my battery.Why do I share this story? For the simple reason that our town, county, and country are in desperate need of young people like this woman. We need skilled workers in all industries as much as we need the college-bound nurses, doctors, teachers and lawyers. Ask anyone in human resources and they will tell you how difficult it is to hire and keep faithful, hardworking employees.We can spend a lot of time debating the causes of this problem; but one thing is certain: other countries attack this problem more effectively. For example, Germany, which has the highest manufacturing productivity in the world, begins tech programs early. By late middle school German students apprentice with active companies so by graduation they have a skill and a job. They are ready to hit the pavement running, care for themselves and embark on life.In contrast, our local high schools offer only limited support to students going into the trades. As proud as I am that some of my former students are doctors, lawyers and teachers, they comprise only about 20 to 30 percent of our high school population. Being a farming community, the agriculture students are also highly supported. However, our tech programs are available only to a limited number of students. What about the rest, the students who stay in our community: the foremen, the linemen, equipment handlers, medical support — the jobs that hold a community together?There are the students who will benefit from a local community college. Sadly, what I see in our upper grades today are too many students, who like caged birds, want to escape the four years of high school, but don’t know where to go or what to do when the door is finally unlocked.Let’s think very seriously about how Warren County can lead the country in beginning a new wave of education: one that will produce a good work force and the next generation of young people who can read, think, and lead this country. A well-designed community college program in collaboration with local industry can make Warren County a beacon of light.Sharon Dieckmann, Innsbrook