{"id":14208,"date":"2024-06-01T16:25:44","date_gmt":"2024-06-01T16:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/?post_type=articles&p=14208"},"modified":"2024-06-27T18:00:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T18:00:48","slug":"skilled-trades-drawing-gen-zs-interest","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/skilled-trades-drawing-gen-zs-interest\/","title":{"rendered":"Skilled Trades Drawing Gen Z’s Interest"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Members of Generation Z are increasingly skeptical of the value of a college degree, given the rising cost of tuition, and instead are giving trades such as plumbing and welding serious consideration.<\/p>\n

Good pay and job security\u2014plus the opportunity to learn tech skills, such as robotics in some fields\u2014are making occupations in vocational fields an attractive alternative to college and its ensuing debt. Additionally, some members of Generation Z are \u201cdrawn to the skilled trades because of their entrepreneurial potential,\u201d The Wall Street Journal reported April 1.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Vocational training program enrollment \u201cis surging as overall enrollment in community colleges and four-year institutions has fallen,\u201d the publication noted.<\/p>\n

And if trade skills can be attained through an apprenticeship program that allows the student to learn while they earn and get hired full time by the employer when the apprenticeship is successfully completed, even better.<\/p>\n

A 2023 survey commissioned by Jobber2 <\/sup>found that high-school-age and college-age respondents said they thought blue-collar jobs offered better job security than white-collar ones, given the growth of artificial intelligence.3 <\/sup>Jobber is based in Edmonton, Alberta, and helps small and midsize service businesses with invoicing, logging hours, and other tasks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no surprise we\u2019re seeing more young people pursuing these fields today,\u201d said Kelcie Wong, interim Vice President of Training Programs at career training nonprofit JVS, based in San Francisco, California.<\/p>\n

Vocational training is a pathway for many young job seekers to a career, she noted, that \u201coffers room for advancement, family-sustaining wages, and stability without the significant student debt burden often required for a four-year degree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith interest in these types of careers heating up, young people should focus on how they can differentiate themselves from the competition,\u201d Wong advised. Despite the increasing use of AI and automation, \u201cemployers are looking for candidates with good interpersonal communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills,\u201d she said, citing a JVS and Jobs for the Future analysis of the job market4 <\/sup>for the skilled trades and health-care sectors.<\/p>\n

SHRM Online<\/em> collected the following articles on apprenticeship programs and Generation Z\u2019s growing interest in vocational occupations.<\/p>\n

How Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation<\/h3>\n

America needs more plumbers, and Gen Z is answering the call.<\/p>\n

Long beset by a labor crunch, the skilled trades are newly appealing to the youngest cohort of U.S. workers, many of whom are choosing to leave the college path. Rising pay and new technologies in fields such as welding and machine tooling are giving trade professions a facelift, helping them shed the image held by some of being dirty, low-end work. Growing skepticism about the return on a college education,5 <\/sup>the cost of which has soared in recent decades, is adding to their shine.<\/p>\n

The Future of Work Needs More Apprentices6<\/sup><\/h3>\n

It is no secret that Gen Z is shaking up the established education-to-career pathways system,7 <\/sup>with college enrollment down and young learners skeptical of the cost-versus benefit of a 4-year degree. But neither the K\u201312 and postsecondary, or the workforce systems, have gone all-in on promoting apprenticeship as a viable alternative. A recent survey8 <\/sup>by Jobs for the Future and American Student Assistance found that nearly two in three high-school graduates not attending college said they would have considered programs like industry certifications, occupation licenses, and apprenticeships if they knew more about them. They also noted that schools are not offering information about non-degree pathways to the same extent as they are about 4-year degrees.<\/p>\n

Why Gen Z Can Solve the Skilled Labor Shortage Crisis9<\/sup><\/h3>\n

Many young people have been taught to pursue college over vocational school. But now more members of Gen Z are recognizing the potential of a career in the skilled trades.<\/p>\n

Report: Apprenticeships, Career Pathways Can Fill Talent Pipeline<\/h3>\n

The lack of a college degree, regardless of the worker\u2019s skill, may be holding U.S. workers back, or they may not have had a chance to acquire additional skills within their existing job that would allow them to advance. In\u00a0Untapped Potential: How New Apprenticeship Approaches Will Increase Access to Economic Opportunity<\/em>,10 <\/sup>Multiverse and The Burning Glass Institute advocate for applying new apprenticeship models to the U.S. labor market.<\/p>\n

An Uncommon Pathway to Education and Employment<\/h3>\n

In an ever-evolving landscape where skills and experience are valued as much as academic degrees, apprenticeship programs have emerged as a game-changing solution. These programs are not only transforming the way we prepare the workforce of tomorrow, but also offering a compelling alternative to traditional college degrees.<\/p>\n

Why Americans Have Lost Faith in the Value of College<\/h3>\n

In the past decade, the percentage of Americans who expressed a lot of confidence in higher education fell from 57% to 36%, according to Gallup.11 <\/sup>A decline in undergraduate enrollment since 2011 has translated into 3 million fewer students on campus. Nearly half of parents say they would prefer not to send their children to a 4-year college after high school,12 <\/sup>even if there were no obstacles, financial or otherwise. Two-thirds of high-school students think they will be just fine without a college degree.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong>
\n1. Te-Ping Chen, \u201cHow Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation,\u201d The Wall Street Journal<\/em>, April 1, 2024 (https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/lifestyle\/careers\/gen-z-trades-jobs-plumbing-welding-a76b5e43<\/a>)
\n2. Jobber\u2019s Blue-Color Report\u2013Gen Z and the Uncertain Future of the Trades<\/em> (https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/lifestyle\/careers\/gen-z-trades-jobs-plumbing-welding-a76b5e43<\/a>)
\n3. Ray A. Smith, \u201cAI Is Starting to Threaten White-Collar Jobs. Few Industries Are Immune.\u201d The Wall Street Journal<\/em>, February 12, 2024 (https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/lifestyle\/careers\/ai-is-starting-to-threaten-white-collar-jobs-few-industries-are-immune-9cdbcb90<\/a>)
\n4. Alison Schmitt, Alessandro Conway, Dylan Ruggles, Devon Miner, Bekka Rosenbaum, and Regina Anders-Jefferson, \u201cHow Employers Can Prepare Workers for an AI-Driven Economy,\u201d JVS and Jobs for the Future, March 28, 2024 (https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/lifestyle\/careers\/ai-is-starting-to-threaten-white-collar-jobs-few-industries-are-immune-9cdbcb90<\/a>)
\n5. Douglas Belkin, \u201cWhy Americans Have Lost Faith in the Value of College,\u201d The Wall Street Journal<\/em>, January 19, 2024 (https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/us-news\/education\/why-americans-have-lost-faith-in-the-value-of-college-b6b635f2<\/a>)
\n6. Maria Flynn, \u201cThe Future of Work Needs More Apprentices,\u201d Forbes<\/em>, November 14, 2023 (https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/mariaflynn\/2023\/11\/14\/the-future-of-work-needs-more-apprentices\/?sh=559af3aaf5b7<\/a>)
\n7. Joshua Bay, \u201cGen Z\u2019s Declining College Interest Persists\u2014Even Among Middle Schoolers,\u201d The 74<\/em>, August 24, 2023 (https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/article\/gen-zs-declining-college-interest-persists-even-among-middle-schoolers\/<\/a>)
\n8. Success, Redefined \u2013 How Nondegree Pathways Empower Youth to Chart Their Own Course to Confidence, Employability, and Financial Freedom<\/em>, Jobs for the Future and American Student Assistance, updated 16\/10\/2023 (https:\/\/expandopportunities.org\/knowledge-hub\/success-redefined\/<\/a>)
\n9. Mark C. Perna, \u201cWhy Gen Z Can Solve the Skilled Labor Shortage Crisis,\u201d Forbes, October 17, 2023 (https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/markcperna\/2023\/10\/17\/why-gen-z-can-solve-the-skilled-labor-shortage-crisis\/?sh=73ee04c33ac6<\/a>)
\n10. Matt Sigelman and Euan Blair, Untapped Potential: How New Apprenticeship Approaches Will Increase Access to Economic Opportunity<\/em>, The Burning Glass Institute and Multiverse, November 2023 (https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/markcperna\/2023\/10\/17\/why-gen-z-can-solve-the-skilled-labor-shortage-crisis\/?sh=73ee04c33ac6<\/a>)
\n11. Megan Brenan, \u201cAmericans\u2019 Confidence in Higher Education Down Sharply,\u201d Gallup, July 11, 2023 (https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/508352\/americans-confidence-higher-education-down-sharply.aspx<\/a>)
\n12. Jill Barshay, \u201cPoll: Nearly half of parents don\u2019t want their kids to go straight to a four-year college,\u201d The Hechinger Report<\/em>, April 7, 2021 (https:\/\/hechingerreport.org\/poll-nearly-half-of-parents-dont-want-their-kids-to-go-to-a-four-year-college\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To those who bemoan a long-running labor shortage, this article offers evidence that our industry\u2019s available workforce pool may be growing soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[],"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[646,664,665],"class_list":["post-14208","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","category-building-envelope","category-june-2024","category-metal-building"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSkilled Trades Drawing Gen Z's Interest - Insulation Outlook Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/skilled-trades-drawing-gen-zs-interest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Skilled Trades Drawing Gen Z's Interest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To those who bemoan a long-running labor shortage, this article offers evidence that our industry\u2019s available workforce pool may be growing soon.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/skilled-trades-drawing-gen-zs-interest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Insulation Outlook Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-27T18:00:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/IO240603_01-300x191.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/skilled-trades-drawing-gen-zs-interest\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/skilled-trades-drawing-gen-zs-interest\/\",\"name\":\"Skilled Trades Drawing Gen Z's Interest - 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