Necessity is the mother of invention. We live in a world where obsolescence is built into the manufacturing process. The broken kettle or even television is largely a throwaway item. As to repairing a lawn mower, lawn mowers are not produced to the same standard/quality as they were 50 years ago. Plastic carburettors are not designed for the home handyman to fix by whacking it with a hammer. If it comes down to changing oil/blades etc., there are mechanisms through which people can still learn. The methods have changed though. Some may be lucky and their dad/mum will teach them such skills. Others, because their dad doesn’t know how to do it either or isn’t interested in teaching them, may attend a class in person or they can go on YouTube and find videos to teach them. Some may decide they would rather go down to the mower shop and get someone else to do it. If the need is there, people can and will learn required skills.
Some skills have become redundant. We don’t need to learn how to build, repair or attach wagon wheels (although there is a YouTube video if you want to find out how to build one). Younger generations may not have or need these skills, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn them if the need/desire arises or that they don’t have the aptitude or will to learn. There has been a resurgence in people wanting to learn how to knit, crochet, sew, cook and various wood and metal craft skills. Where skills and techniques are still important (even from an emotional perspective), people will learn to perform those skills. Others will choose to get someone else to carry out those tasks. I don’t think that has changed regardless of what generation you belong to. Some do, and some get others to do.
As long as the ability to seek out information and find ways to learn skills and techniques exist, people will learn what they need to know. Fathers/mothers may not pass handyman skills down to their children, but that doesn’t mean people can’t or will have no interest in learning. I don’t think there is really any difference across the generations in terms of the willingness to learn what people need to learn. Those from different generations may just have different needs and different interests.
So yes @Dabbler. Some old skills are being preserved through mechanisms such as YouTube. Anyone want to make cheese? Or build a table? Mig welding? Need to fix your shingle roof? I don’t know about where you are but here there are also hundreds of face-to-face TAFE courses you can do. You can learn to hang wallpaper, about permaculture, how to remove a dent from your car, plumbing skills, you name it, there seems to be pretty much a course you can do.