From The San Francisco Standard · · 2m
Gen Z trades for hands-on work
Gen Z skips college for skilled trades as AI threatens office jobs.
In brief
Gen Z skips college for skilled trades as AI threatens office jobs. Gen Z youth are choosing hands-on careers over college due to rising costs and AI disrupting entry-level jobs. Originally reported by The San Francisco Standard.
Gen Z skips college
Young people are forgoing desk jobs for hands-on careers as college costs rise and AI disrupts entry-level positions.
Adam Asad's plan
17-year-old Adam Asad plans to skip college and enter construction after high school graduation in may.
Construction skills
Adam learns to use nail guns, sanding belts, table saws and other tools through building and construction classes.
Union apprenticeships
After graduation, Adam will be eligible for carpenters union or local contractors like Cahill, Webcor, and Swinerton.
National trend
Young people increasingly choose skilled trades over white-collar jobs as college costs rise and ai impacts entry-level labor.
Job security
82% of young adults feel skilled trades offer better job security than office work according to recent survey.
Trade school growth
Vocational school enrollment has increased roughly 20% since 2.020 with 10.2% rise in undergraduate certification programs.
AI job security
Adam says construction is an area where ai cannot take over jobs compared to other career paths.
JVS program shift
JVS shut down its tech training program due to declining entry-level hiring and now focuses on healthcare and skilled trades.
Auto program growth
JVS automotive program now trains 55 students annually with plans to expand to 70 after city investment.
Isaia Butler
23-year-old Isaia Butler dropped out of San Jose State University to train as a mechanic after student debt concerns.
CityBuild program
CityBuild has seen average participant age drop from 31 to 27 over five years for construction training.
Bandana job board
Bandana job board for apprenticeships has seen 400% increase in pageviews since last year.
Construction teacher
Chris Wood leads field trips to job sites to show students journeymen earn six-figure salaries in construction.
The bottom line
Gen Z youth are choosing hands-on careers over college due to rising costs and AI disrupting entry-level jobs.
