High school students in Elizabeth, Colorado have been given the opportunity to get an early start in automotive repair–and many are eager to take it, Fox 31 Denver reports.

Elizabeth High School has recently revived its shop class program, which first started under the name ‘industrial arts.’ The program was axed in the early 1990s, which shop class instructor Derek Spohn credits to a boom in technology happening at the time.

“There was huge earnings, and the pendulum of education kind of swung that way,” Spohn recalled.

However, Spohn feels that the shop class program teaches students vital skills that are likely to lead to a fulfilling and profitable career.

Students in the program have the option to study metal fabrication, welding, and auto repair. Much of their time in the class is spent doing hands-on work outdoors.

Of the 700 kids in the student body, 170 are already currently enrolled in the school’s auto program. From what Elizabeth High School Principal Bret McClendon has seen, kids are loving the program.

“They are actively working with their hands, so they are going to learn a skill that is going to feed them potentially for the rest of their life,” Spohn said.