Aaron Hilger thinks it's time to double down on recruiting Generation Z to the trades.
“I'm a parent of three 20-year-olds, so I'm on the front lines of discussions about trades and careers,” said Hilger, CEO of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association.
Hilger said he was pleased when his triplets had visitors to their high school a few years ago discussing options for careers outside of pursuing higher education.
Although college remains the most popular option for teenagers, a large group of the emerging workforce is realizing college may not fit them. Around nine in 10 members of Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — said learning a skilled trade can be a better route to economic security than college, according to a Thumbtack survey. Eight in 10 parents agreed.
“I think a lot of that has changed because the cost of college has gotten so high,” Hilger said. “It used to be when I went to school, an expensive school was $20,000 a year. Now a lot of private schools are $80,000 a year. That ROI calculation with those kinds of numbers becomes a lot more challenging.”
To capitalize on that trend, and to help with the massive gap in demand for workers, SMACNA is partnering with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers and the International Training Institute to launch the first National Careers In Trades Week April 7-11. The goal is to increase awareness of the benefits of choosing careers in the trades for American job seekers.
Timing the trades
This week, the groups will provide a push on social media to continue to try to advertise the trades, particularly to Gen Z, and reach markets or regions it hasn’t attempted to recruit in before.
That includes highlighting the types of technology tools that are used on the job, Hilger said, as Gen Z grew up with more tech in their hands at a younger age than previous generations. But first and foremost, it’s about emphasizing the earning potential.
“You can actually see the results of your work,” Hilger said. “That’s always been appealing to a certain group of young folks. And I think it may be a little more appealing now, particularly when you weigh in the earning potential.”
The groups plan to share stories from programs like Heavy Metal Summer Experience, such as that of Alejandra Rios.
Rios said her dad was a carpenter, but she still didn’t feel like the trades were advertised to her. Now, she’s in her second year of a five-year journeyman program studying at Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 66 in Western Washington.
A commonly used phrase was a big part of Rios choosing to pursue the trades, and something she hoped her peers may consider rather than pursuing college and accruing debt.
“One of the biggest things for me is like a zinger that our union has, which is ‘Earn while you learn,’” Rios told Construction Dive.
