The success of any academic subject is based on the past, present, and future. Technology education has a rich and vast history of change and growth. Technology education is built on the foundation of Industrials Arts, which is built on the foundation of manual training.

The first forms of teaching hands on skills or trades was a father teaching his son and apprenticeships. Both systems had many advantages and disadvantage that changed with the onset of the Industrial Revolution.

Students in Industrial Arts courses develop the skills that are needed for jobs in industry. A example of these skills is adeptness with tools and machines.

The success of technology education today relies of the continual improvement of its foundations. Forgetting the past only causes human to repeat mistakes. This continuous process with reoccurring mistakes slow progress.