Uh oh, looks like the toilet’s clogged again! 🥴🚽 You should probably skip the DIY and call a plumber. And we heard your plumber now looks a whole lot younger. 🙇
Is it a new skincare routine? Nope. It’s just a Zoomer. 👶
The youngest generation of workers is skipping out on college and giving trade professions a go instead! Higher wages and new technology is changing the trades game and Gen Z is all about it. 🛠️
Here’s Five Fast Facts on Gen Z and skilled trades:
- 📈 All the Way Up - According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, overall enrollment in community colleges and traditional four-year universities has fallen. However, enrollment in vocational training programs is on the rise. The number of students enrolled in VoTech schools jumped by 16% reaching its highest level since 2018.
- 👷 Dirty Jobs - While some Zoomers dream of getting TikTok famous, others aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. The amount of students studying construction trades is up 23% since 2018. There was also a 7% increase in students in vehicle maintenance and HVAC programs.
- 💵 Fat Pockets - Fatter paychecks sweeten the deal. For new construction hires, median pay increased by 5.1% to $48,089 last year. Compare that to a new hire’s salary in professional services, which only increased by 2.7% ($39,520 average salary).
- 🧰 Show Me the Ropes - Zoomers not only want to get into the trades, they want proper training, too. In a survey on trade apprenticeships, 75% of high school and college-age respondents said they’d want to attend a VoTech school with paid, on-the-job training.
- 🚼 Baby Face - No, it’s not Botox. Over the last decade, the number of U.S. carpenters grew, but their median age fell from 42.2 to 40.9. Electricians saw an increase in 229,000 workers and their median age fell, too (by almost three years). The median age of HVAC and plumbing workers fell as well.
🔥Bottom line: There’s a huge demand for skilled workers and the time is right to hop on the trend. Sure, you might get a little dirtier than you would in a cubicle, but if the pay is right, it just might be worth it. Looking to trade your white collar job for a blue one? Head here for some helpful career change tips.
Are you a trade-loving Zoomer?
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