New research reveals a generational shift: more young people and parents now trust the trades over college to deliver stability, ownership and long-term opportunity.

Jobber’s Blue Collar Report may only have existed since 2023, but it’s already tracking a significant shift in how young people—and their parents—view education and career pathways.

What’s new this year? It’s the first year that more Gen Zers than not say that college is no longer the surest path to a solid career (42% to 36%). Parents are following suit, with 45% saying college is no longer the safest route to long-term employment, compared to 34% who still believe it is.

“What we're seeing isn't a rejection of education. It's a reassessment of what career security looks like,” says Scott Shaw, President and CEO of Lincoln Tech. “For decades, a four-year degree was widely viewed as the default path to stability. Today, students are weighing rising tuition costs, student debt, changing workforce needs, and the opportunities they see in skilled trades.”

What’s the alternative to college? Parents of the up-and-coming Gen Alpha in particular are leaning heavily toward the skilled trades as a better investment than a college degree (52% to 18%).

Though this shift has been underway for several years, AI is accelerating it. A majority of Gen Alpha’s parents are concerned about AI’s impact on future careers (73%) and also say it has made them rethink the job security so often taken for granted with white-collar work (68%).

Meanwhile, 76% of Gen Z say it’s important to choose a career that’s hard to automate, and 38% see AI as a positive force in the skilled trades.

Things are definitely shifting. Just how fast, and how the change will up-end the status quo for students, colleges, trade schools and industries, is anyone’s guess.

Why the skilled trades still have underdog energy

Half the Gen Z respondents surveyed this year stated that no teacher, counselor or administrator ever recommended a skilled trade as a potential career to........

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