Gen Z is ditching the tie for a toolbelt, and it’s the smartest rebellion yet | Opinion
When I graduated college, my Dad gave me the best piece of life advice I’ve ever received. He told me to go get a skill beyond what was taught as part of my degree, because one day my education would fail me, and when it did, I would have something to fall back on.
So, I became a bartender for a while. I’m no longer tending bar, but I’m still grateful for the skill set — and the lesson.
Millennials were taught the path to success and financial stability ran through a college campus. I followed the path — chasing internships, earning good grades and securing jobs where I could use my bachelor’s degree. The corner office in the C-Suite was the end goal. But things have changed.
Technology has accelerated at a rate that’s cannibalizing entry level jobs, and Generation Z isn’t taking any chances on losing earning potential to artificial intelligence. As the Wall Street Journal and others have noted, a number of Gen Zers are opting for a different career path.
Sometimes called the “toolbelt generation,” Generation Z is picking up tools and looking to trade careers. According to Resume Builder, 42% of Gen Zers are either pursuing or working in blue collar or skilled trade jobs — including 37% who already have college degrees.
That may be smart. Blue collar jobs and skilled labor are becoming more in demand.
“There is a huge scarcity of labor in a lot of skilled trades, which has all kinds of deleterious impacts on producing the things that we need,” said Phil Lewin, associate professor of sociology at Florida Atlantic University. “Basic social functions will shut down” without people doing manual trades, he said.
Gen Z saw what happened to many millenials: $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, a more than 40% increase over what was owed a decade ago, according to Pew Research. And now they’re seeing AI fulfilling many entry-level white collar jobs. According to a Microsoft study, which Axios wrote about this summer, equipment operators and specialized physical labor roles were least at risk of being replaced by AI.
At an energy and innovation summit in Pennsylvania last summer, TV host and skilled-trades philanthropist Mike Rowe said, “We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to code. ‘Learn to code!’ we said. Yeah, well, AI’s coming for the coders. They’re not coming for the welders. They’re not coming for the plumbers. They’re not coming for the steamfitters or the pipe fitters or the HVACs. They’re not coming for the electricians.”
Rowe’s right — and Gen Z is taking that message to heart. Since 2020, the National Student Clearinghouse has found an increase of nearly 16% of students enrolling in vocational focused community colleges.
I can understand the appeal: Apprenticeships allows students to learn while they earn, and some vocations promise six-figure incomes with benefits and a pension and no student loan debt.
Lewin told me this shift isn’t just about economics — it’s also about trust. “The perceived value in a college degree has declined,” he said. “The choice to go to college is seen as a lot riskier than it was 15 or 20 years ago, particularly for those who must finance it.”
He also noted that younger workers view the trades as “legitimate occupational choices, not fallback options.” But he cautioned against romanticizing the trend. “While skilled trades are vital,” he said, “college education still correlates with higher median earnings and broader well-being.”
For many, the choice is less rebellion than realism — a practical response to automation and fading faith in the traditional path forward. “There’s a lot of anxiety about declining social mobility,” he said. “Young people fear they’ll never afford a home or comfortably raise a family. Many young people may see entering trades less as rejecting college than as adapting to higher costs and changing opportunities.”
A generation that grew up with Facebook, the iPhone and Netflix is finding success by stepping away from the digital space and opting for skilled trades. They’re taking my dad’s advice even if they don’t know it. Good for them, and for us.
Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 11:50 AM.