Justin Mwandjalulu is 20 years old and loves to build things.
He is a carpentry apprentice and now installs drywall in homes with his construction crew. He said concrete is his favorite.
“At the end, you can see how much you put in.” He said, “The result of your hardwork.”
Mwandjalulu aspired to be a carpenter and electrician as a child. He’s now living out that dream. He is an exception to the general rule. Gen Z, often defined as those born between 1997 to 2012, is on track for becoming the most educated generation. However, less young people are choosing traditional hands-on jobs within the skilled trades and technical industries.
Gen Z has shown a decreased interest in skilled work and trades.
According to data shared by NPR with Handshake, the number of people looking for technical jobs, such as plumbing, building, and electrical work, dropped 49% between 2020 and 2022.
Handshake researchers tracked the changes in the number and quality of technical job applications over the past two years.
These roles, such as automotive technicians, equipment installers, and respiratory therapists saw approximately 10 applications per year in 2020. They received about five per post in 2022.
According to Christine Cruzvergara (the company’s chief educational strategy officer), the average rate on Handshake is around 19 applications per job.
Although the demand for technical jobs has increased, so has the interest in students applying to them.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warns of an ” massive shortage of skilled workers” in occupations such as automotive technician, which is expected to see a decline in their workforces by 2023.
Cruzvergara stated, “For a long period, our society hasn’t talked favorably about skilled trades.” Instead, we encourage students to go to college, to all four-year institutions, to graduate and to go into white collar jobs.
There is no one path that fits all
Mwandjalulu is a resident of Iowa City, Iowa. He is currently in his second year in a four-year apprenticeship in carpentry.
When he was just a freshman, he immigrated to the United States with his family from Benin, Africa.
He said, “Man, it was difficult.” Mwandjalulu, who is studying to be a banker, said that his twin brother excelled. However, he admitted that he had trouble writing and English.
He said, “I’m not the kind of guy who likes to be in one spot all day, dealing with papers.”
Mwandjalulu stated that he became depressed after high school graduation because he wasn’t sure what he wanted in his life. Many of his friends from high school were having difficulty finding jobs after they graduated.
He said, “I didn’t want to be like them.” He said that he didn’t want to spend money on loans and not use his papers.
The Department of Education estimates that approximately 45 million Americans owe $1.3 trillion in student loans.
Mwandjalulu is a carpenter who earns nearly $24 per hour and said that he still has trouble convincing his friends to follow his lead, which he keeps in touch on Facebook and Snapchat.
He said, “There are not many people, especially immigrants that think outside the school walls.”
The narrative is changing
Paul Iversen is a labor educator at the University of Iowa’s Labor Center. He hopes to change this.
Iversen, who is a part of a pre-apprenticeship training program, stated that one reason why participation in skilled trades is so low among Gen Z was because it was once passed down from family to family.
Iversen said, “It used be word-of mouth.” There’s a greater need for plumbers, electricians, carpenters and pipefitters than you can fill with current family members.
John Boyd Jr. is feeling the impact of this reality.
Boyd, 57 years old, has a 300-acre farm in Virginia, where he raises cattle and grows wheat, soybeans, and corn. This is the same as three generations before him. However, none of Boyd’s three children would like to take over the farm when he is gone.
Boyd, the president of National Black Farmers’ Organization, stated that “everyone on my farm” is older than 50. “We need young people who are entrepreneurial, energetic and innovative.”
Michael Coleman, 28 years old, is one of them. In 2015, he was awarded a scholarship by the NBFA to study animal science at Nebraska.
Coleman is currently an animal health technician at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He dreams of owning his farm one day. He’s sometimes found it lonely.
According to the 2017 US Agriculture Census average age of farmers is 57.5. This is up from 54.9 in 2007. Coleman stated that he has only met two other farmers his age.
He said, “We kinda stick together.”
There are many things you need.
Coleman stated that he has seen more young people interested in agribusinesses and technical industries since the pandemic.
Coleman said that it is much cheaper to become a trader and make a lot more money, especially with student loans. He said that most young people have not had anyone show them the ropes.
However, it is difficult to fill technical and trade jobs. Iversen visits high schools in Iowa City frequently and works with school counselors for placements in the pre-apprenticeship program.
Iversen said that there is an urgent need to fill vacant posts now, especially as the federal government funnels billions to projects to improve roads and transit systems throughout the country.
Iversen stated, “We must recruit people to do this or else our bridges will fall apart.”
Copyright 2023 NPR. Copyright 2023 NPR.
