AmiSight 9/16: Are Skilled Trades the New Safe Career Path?
For years, we have told young people that the safest path to a good career is pretty straightforward: go to college, get a degree, and then find a good job.
This Wall Street Journal article made me wonder how quickly that equation is changing.
Young Americans without college degrees are experiencing one of their best job markets in decades, particularly in skilled trades and other jobs that require people to actually show up and do the work. At the same time, young college graduates are having one of their tougher job markets.
AI is likely part of the story. Many entry-level white-collar tasks are easier to automate than fixing an air conditioner, wiring a building, or working on a construction site.
I am certainly not suggesting that young people shouldn't go to college. But I do think we need to stop assuming that a four-year degree is automatically the best path for everyone.
The world of work is changing quickly. Maybe our definition of a “good career” needs to change with it.
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