Skilled trades
Coverage of Skilled trades in the Nexus archive.
- As AI creates more entrepreneurs and a skills mismatch, Gen Z faces the choice of being a specialist or a ‘general-purpose nerd’
Gen Z faces a skills mismatch as AI drives demand for specialized talent while entry-level corporate jobs decline. The labor market shows surging openings in AI-related fields but struggles with talent shortages, while entrepreneurship tools enable solopreneurs. Economists highlight diverging career paths between specialists and generalists.
- What to know about program supporting members of skilled trades in Metro Detroit
The Ignite Detroit Contractors Program is hosting a fair on July 29 to connect the public with qualified contractors who graduated from a program funded by the Gilbert Family Foundation. The event aims to address the need for skilled tradespeople in Detroit by showcasing vetted professionals in home and commercial projects.
- Believe it or not, AI is creating more opportunities in skilled trades
AI is creating more opportunities in skilled trades, and it is shifting jobs rather than stealing them, contrary to lawmakers' beliefs.
- Bechtel CEO: to build America’s future, we must first build the builders
The Bechtel CEO emphasizes the need for skilled labor in infrastructure development, highlighting surging demand for AI data centers and new energy projects. A projected shortage of 140,000 skilled workers by 2030 is cited, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasting 5% employment growth in skilled trades from 2024 to 2034.
- Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades: Skilled trades shaped America’s past. Here’s how they can build America’s future
The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, formed by BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford Motor Company, and Google, aims to address a projected 2.1 million unfilled skilled trades jobs by 2030 through expanded training and workforce development. The initiative focuses on modernizing infrastructure and creating economic opportunities by increasing access to skilled trades careers.
- Indeed chief economist: Aging Baby Boomers are America’s real labor problem, not AI
The US labor force is projected to shrink by nearly 6 million workers by 2032 due to aging Baby Boomers retiring faster than younger generations can replace them, with healthcare, construction, and skilled trades facing severe shortages. While AI concerns dominate discussions, the article argues the real challenge is demographic shifts, as sectors reliant on human labor struggle to fill roles despite slower job markets in AI-exposed industries.
- Candidate Q&A: State House District 28 – Ernest Caravalho
Ernest Caravalho, a candidate for State House District 28, emphasizes economic diversification through support for local agriculture, small businesses, and investments in skilled trades, STEM, and renewable energy.
- AI is great if you're an electrician
The AI data center boom is increasing demand for electricians and skilled trades, leading to higher wages and reshaped career paths.
- Saxby Chambliss: America can’t win the AI race without more plumbers and electricians
The article highlights the launch of America’s Workforce Academy, a $115 million program led by Meta, the National Urban League, and others to train skilled workers for AI infrastructure jobs. It emphasizes a labor shortage in construction and the strategic need for plumbers, electricians, and similar workers to build data centers and power facilities, contrasting China’s infrastructure progress.
- A problem hiding in plain sight is keeping Americans from buying homes
A critical labor shortage in the U.S. construction industry is exacerbating the housing affordability crisis. Builders report a monthly deficit of 250,000 workers, with aging workforces, insufficient young laborers, and outdated immigration policies cited as key factors. Industry leaders warn that replenishing skilled trades and reforming immigration systems are essential to address a 1.5 million-home housing gap.
- States where a bachelor's degree pays off the most and least, ranked
The article ranks U.S. states by the earnings gap between adults with a bachelor's degree and those with some college or an associate degree. California has the largest gap (58.5%), while South Dakota has the smallest (17.1%), with urban states showing wider disparities than rural economies reliant on industries like agriculture and manufacturing.
- These young people see bright future in trades but say stigma among obstacles in their way
Interest in skilled trades is rising among young Canadians due to increased apprenticeship registrations and new funding. However, stigma remains a challenge despite experts encouraging sound decision-making to convert curiosity into careers.
- College career path ‘over’ as skilled trade get 30% pay bump, recruitment giant says
The CEO of the world's largest recruitment firm says a career in skilled trades can be lucrative and a good career path, with a 30% pay bump. Skilled trade careers are a viable option. The recruitment giant's CEO made the statement to CNBC.
- The AI revolution threatens office jobs, but revives demand for skilled trades
The article discusses how AI threatens white-collar jobs but may increase demand for skilled trades due to human-centric skills. It highlights AI's potential to automate routine tasks, raising wages for some roles while displacing others, and emphasizes the resilience of trades requiring empathy and complex problem-solving.