Future of Skilled Labor at Risk - Gen Z Not Interested In Trades Careers
America needs electricians, plumbers and carpenters, but Gen Z doesn’t seem interested in working skilled labor or in the trades industry.
DALLAS, Jan. 09, 2023 – According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary in the trades field ranges from $50,000 to $70,000. Despite this salary range, the amount of people joining the trades industry has been cut in half in recent years.
Roger Wakefield, LEED AP, The Expert Plumber, and blue collar Influencer who trains people to get into the trades and grow on social media, does not think that Gen Z is uninterested in the trades industry, but improperly educated about the field as a whole. In an interview with Morning In America, he shared what he’s observed.
“I think the reason Gen Z is not getting into the trades is [because] they are taught that if they don’t go to college, they’re not going to be anything. I think what we need to do is to re-educate [our youth] and let them know about the opportunities available in the trades - because they’re phenomenal.”
Wakefield goes on to say that the lack of applications for trades careers will not only be detrimental for Gen Z, but for the rest of us as well - including the U.S. economy. Imagine a world without tradespeople; a world without trained professionals to fix our plumbing systems, our electric systems, our heating systems. He shared:
“The average age of the Master Plumber in Texas is 58 years old and for every ten people that retire this year, we are only getting four or five bodies to fill these spots. So, in five or ten years from now the supply and demand is going to be outrageous - and imagine what that’s going to do to the pricing.”
There are a great number of jobs that are unfilled in the United States that young people are missing out on. People who get into the profession now before it’s too late will be the future business owners of America.
Skilled professionals can make $200,000 to $400,000 a year due to their work ethic, skills, and love of the job.
Wakefield and other experts in the industry continue to sound the alarm on the lack of young people going into the trades, but it’s up to Gen Z to listen.