King Charles slams the UK's lack of vocational education in a special edition of The Repair Shop.
In an episode filmed when the royal was still Prince of Wales, Charles meets students from the Prince’s Foundation Building Craft Programme – a training initiative that teaches traditional skills such as blacksmithing and wood carving.
Speaking to presenter Jay Blades about the need to nurture such skills, the monarch says: “I still think the great tragedy is the lack of vocational education in schools, actually not everybody is designed for the academic.
“I know from The Prince’s Trust, I have seen the difference we can make to people who have technical skills which we need all the time, I have the greatest admiration for people.
“I think that’s been the biggest problem, sometimes that is forgotten. Apprenticeships are vital but they just abandoned apprenticeships for some reason.
“It gives people intense satisfaction and reward.”
The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit was filmed in Scotland and marks the BBC's centenary.
In the episode Charles sets his sights on repairing an 18th-century bracket clock and a piece made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
He admits the 19th century ceramic piece fell over when someone was opening a window, before joking: “they didn’t own up”.
Speaking about his love of clocks, the royal added: “To me I just love the sound, the tick tock but also if they chime, that’s why I love grandfather clocks.
“I find it rather reassuring in a funny way and they become really special parts of the house… the beating heart of it. So that’s why they matter to me.
“I’m afraid it is something I learnt from my grandmother, she had great fun putting a few together and trying to get them to chime at the same time in the dining room, which made it very enjoyable because everybody had to stop talking.”
With its heart-warming tales of restoration, The Repair Shop is one of the jewels in the Beeb's crown.
Celebs love the show, particularly Dame Judi Dench, who was thrilled when horologist Steve Fletcher fixed a treasured watch, which belonged to her late husband.
Steve also gave the actress two pairs of his super strong specs, which meant the James Bond star, whose eyesight is failing, could see every tiny detail in the precious pocket-watch.
* The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit will air on Wednesday at 8pm on BBC One
