by Eric Lendrum
Just when it seemed that skilled trades and vocational schools in the United States were in indefinite decline, Gen Zers are starting to enter such professions, which may mark the beginning of a comeback.
According to AxlesEnrollment in vocational programs is gradually increasing as members of Generation Z, also called “Zoomers,” turn to trade schools as a cheaper alternative to more steep four-year universities.
“We are finally seeing more than a subtle change in our society,” said Robb Sommerfeld, co-founder of the National Craft Center. “More and more students and their parents see alternatives.”
While enrollment in four-year colleges and community colleges declined, enrollment in vocational programs increased 16 percent in 2023. Due to this trend, the average age of trade workers, including carpenters and HVAC maintenance workers, has dropped from mid-2023. The 40s include the early 40s and 30s.
However, other manual labor positions still face solemn shortages. The construction industry still suffers from a shortage of one million workers, and many plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen have retired in recent years without successors. An raise in the number of juvenile Americans seeking such jobs could aid fill this gap in the coming years.
While millennials began attending four-year universities in droves in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Zoomers are now rejecting such colleges in favor of trade schools. A survey by New America found that 54 percent of Zoomers believe a high school diploma is enough to land a stable, well-paid job. Another Gallup poll shows that 46 percent parents prefer that their children seek alternatives to four-year universities, including trade schools.
One of the main factors influencing this change is the development of artificial intelligence (AI), which threatens many white-collar workers and other low-skilled office jobs. In turn, physical work such as construction, plumbing and electrical work is safe and sound from the development of artificial intelligence.
“This is a pivotal moment where people are really figuring out what they want to do, and if you can show them a promising future during this time, you can really make a difference,” said Nick Largura, CEO of Superior Construction, on the raise in the number of Zoomers at his company . He added that in construction, unlike mental work that could soon be replaced by artificial intelligence, “at the end of the day you see a physical product as a result of your work.”
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Eric Lendrum is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was secretary of the College Republicans and founder of Young Americans for Freedom. He has interned at the Young America’s Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, and the White House, and has worked on numerous campaigns, including the 2018 re-election of Congressman Devin Nunes (CA-22). He currently serves as co-host The right approach podcast.
Photo “Gen Z Construction Workers” by Northern Craft Center.
