Understanding Gen Z’s interest in the trades

There’s been buzz lately about Gen Z’s growing interest in the trades, so we peeled back the onion to understand what’s happening.

The big picture: Over 37,000 job openings for HVAC techs and installers are projected each year until 2032, highlighting the need for new talent as baby boomers retire.

What’s happening: Enrollment in vocational programs rose by 16% last year, contrasting with traditional college enrollment, which declined by 1.6% a year from 2011 to 2021.

• Attending a four-year public college now costs over 50% more than it did two decades ago. 

• Plus, Americans are simply losing confidence in higher education.

On the flip side, the high-paying, little to no debt opportunity in the trades, paired with technological advances, has caught Gen Z’s attention. 

• In 2022, about 214,000 16 to 24-year-olds were enrolled in apprenticeship programs, more than double the amount from the decade prior.  

Of note: “CTE (career and technical education) is making its way back into school districts… In 2023, 47 states enacted 48 policies that created CTE offices,” Explore The Trades’ Kate Cinnamo wrote in ACHR News.

Why it matters: Cinnamo encourages contractors to partner with local schools to educate students about the trades and build a talent pipeline for their companies. 

• “A school partnership can take on many shapes, but for many companies, it can include hosting a ride-and-decide program in the summer, providing hands-on visits to your shop during the school year, or having someone at your company serve as an advisor on a school’s CTE program committee,” she added.

Looking ahead: Superior Construction CEO Nick Largura summed it up, as Axios noted, "I by no means think the work is done, but the momentum is there.”