Why Gen Z is Ditching College for High-Paying Trade Careers: The Rise of the Toolbelt Generation

Labor Landscape
American consumers are frantically searching for plumbers, electricians, and welders. And Gen Z, dubbed the toolbelt generation, is answering the call. Long beset by a labor crunch, the skilled trades are now appealing to the youngest cohort of American workers, many of whom are choosing to leave the college path.

Rising Pay and New Technologies
Rising pay and new technologies in fields from welding to machine tooling are giving trade professions a facelift, helping them shed the image of being dirty, low-end work. Growing skepticism about the return on a college education, the cost of which has soared in recent decades, is adding to their shine.

In Pennsylvania, the trades have seen an influx of workers since the pandemic, with salaries for graduates of trade schools increasing from $35,000 to $60,000 a year. Enrollment in trade schools, which cost about $3,000 a year, has risen across the board.

“After COVID, it seemed a lot of people realized the trades are life-sustaining,” said Michael McGraw, executive director of the Pennsylvania Plumbing-Heating Cooling Contractors Association.

Changing Perceptions
Take the case of Cecilia Potts, a fifth-year apprentice in Community College of Allegheny County’s program, who notes that perceptions surrounding trade careers are changing. The electrical construction field is expanding, offering more career options.

Enrollment Trends
A U.S. Department of Education report found that enrollment in vocational-focused community colleges rose 16% last year, with construction trades increasing by 23% over five years. In Iowa, where trade programs have launched outreach efforts, college enrollment has fallen 15% over the past five years.

“We continue to see increases as more students see trade careers as a way to avoid large schooling debt,” said Dorothy Collins, vice president of enrollment services at CCAC.

Future Demand
By 2027, the U.S. Labor Department predicts a need for over 300,000 workers in trade careers. The retirement of older electricians, plumbers, and welders is driving up labor costs, and the median pay for new construction hires rose 5.1% to $48,089 last quarter.

Booming Apprenticeships
Demand for trade apprenticeships has boomed, with 75% of surveyed high school and college-age individuals expressing interest in vocational schools offering paid on-the-job training. The rise of generative AI has also shifted perceptions, with many believing blue-collar jobs offer better job security than white-collar jobs.