Yup. When I said math is important, I meant it to include geometry as well as algebra. There have been times when I hired contractors to do work for me, and I have had to correct them or their workers on several occasions. To be honest, some weren't that good at math but managed to get jobs done by trial and error - with the wasted materials that goes along with mistakes. Recently had to eat the extra costs in a bathroom remodel because the contractor made mistakes on calculating needed materials, which were my responsibility to choose design and buy; some were last in stock and non-returnable. I've got extra wall and floor tiles I won't be able to use elsewhere, and had to scrounge up other under-calculated items. Good thing he was one of the lowest bids on the job. Same for a crew that did a fence for me, mis-calculations on materials.
Why are young people so bad at math?!
I’m guessing you paid for the materials? Easier for the contractor to buy a bunch extra to save him an extra trip when he messes up on one too many tiles.
I recall working with my dad on home-building projects. We could do the math okay. I was always amazed at his carpenters that could use their right-angle measuring things with all of the shorthand calculations on it. That was a real mystery to me - like a slide-rule was!
“Why are young people so bad at math?!”
But they’re proficient at putting on a rubber. They’ve been teaching them how do do that since the 4th grade. Isn’t it great how effective your taxes dollars have been spent?