Gen Z workers training to become plumbers, electricians as they lose faith in college degrees

A growing number of Gen Zers plan to pursue traditional blue-collar jobs in trades like welding, plumbing and electrical work as young adults lose faith in the value of a college degree, according to a new study.

About 23% of Americans who are not currently working in the trade field say they plan to move into blue-collar work – but that percentage rises to 50% for members of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, according to the study conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma.

The survey of 2,091 people aged 18 and over found that Gen Z was becoming the “toolbelt generation” because of the shifting attitudes and soaring cost of a college education.

“As the promise of a four-year degree falls short, and the cost to receive a college degree continues to climb, young Americans are making blue-collar jobs cool again,” Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma, said in a statement.

About 77% of respondents said it’s “outdated” to assume that a college degree is necessary for a successful career, and only half said college is worth the investment.

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Some 23% of Gen Z view trade jobs more positively than corporate jobs, the study found.

A whopping 78% of Americans say they have noticed a recent surge in young adults’ interest in trade careers, according to the study.

Skilled trade professions like electricians, plumbers and mechanics have seen an increase in the number of Gen Z workers joining these fields, according to Gusto data shared with CNBC Make It.

“It’s refreshing to see young adults taking notice and interest in these lines of work, especially considering how challenging it’s been for new grads to find white-collar jobs,” Alev said.

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The shift comes as young adults face competitive job markets and prioritize job security.

With the rise of AI, 66% of Americans believe trade professionals have more job security than their corporate counterparts, the study found.

Trade jobs are typically a more affordable path, too, which can be attractive to young students facing skyrocketing tuition costs.

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“Folks have really prioritized a college education as a path to the middle class and a path to a cushy office job,” Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, who leads nonprofit Jewish Vocational Service and provides career training, told NPR in April.

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, we are seeing a trend among young people opting out of universities,” she added. “Just the crushing debt of college is becoming a barrier in and of itself.”

The average cost of college in the United States has more than doubled over the past 24 years to $38,270 per student per year, according to the Education Data Initiative.

That high price tag can act as a barrier – but skilled trades can help “level the playing field,” especially for people of color and those from less-privileged backgrounds, said Nitzan Pelman, the founder of job training platform Climb Hire.

And increasing salaries in fields like welding, plumbing and machine tooling are making trade jobs even more attractive, Pelman told NPR.

“There are a lot of vocational jobs out there that are pretty attractive — HVAC repair and installation, electricians, solar panel installer — there’s so much demand for wind turbine installers who, in many cases, make more than $100,000 a year — so there’s a lot of demand for manual labor,” Pelman said.

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