In a jobs apocalypse, look to ‘AI-proof’ skilled trades: career experts
James Vandall, 25, said his interest in becoming an electrician first emerged, so to speak, when workers were recently rewiring the third floor of his home. “I asked them how I could get into this trade,” he said.
Part of the appeal, he said, is working with his hands. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in the beginning. I went to college and then I left,” he said. “I bounced around from job to job over the years until I finally got into business.”
Vandall is currently enrolled at Rosedale Technical College in Pittsburgh. After the 16-month program, the school’s job placement program typically places students directly into a position in the field; is an increasingly rare feat in today’s job market.
A potential business apocalypse
The fear is that as AI capabilities improve, companies will need fewer workers and white-collar layoffs will increase, creating a “negative feedback loop with no natural brakes.” Latest report from Citrini Research.
At the same time, a shortage of skilled tradesmen as experienced workers age out of the field is not only increasing the number of job opportunities in some sectors but also increasing wages.
Monster career expert Vicki Salemi said jobs in skilled trades are “weak and therefore AI-resistant.” “They require physical presence and are less likely to be fully automated or offshore,” he said. Moreover, “most of them have union membership, so they have job protection.”
For example, electricians are among the highest-paying trade jobs in demand by job site Actually. “That’s where the jobs are and they pay good money,” Salemi said.
The median annual salary for U.S. electricians was $62,350 in 2024 and employment in the profession It is estimated to grow by 9% That’s been happening for more than a decade — much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent occupational handbook.
More recent BLS data from 2025 shows the average weekly earnings for electricians is $1,376, or 14% higher than the national average.
‘Retirement gap’
Every year, more electricians retire than new entrants to the field.
“There’s a huge retirement gap going on,” said Ian Andrews, vice president of labor relations for the National Electrical Contractors Association, a trade group representing the electrical contracting industry. “On the union side, we are losing about 20,000 electricians a year and have an 80,000 job opening,” he said. “Demand for skilled labor is at an all-time high.”
Longtime politician and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said major industries in this country “can’t find people” to fill the roles. Brookings Institution In February. “Have a productive life in jobs that artificial intelligence cannot destroy.”
According to Andrews, “You’re working with your hands…it’s not something a computer can manually replace, so there’s a long-term stability that your office jobs don’t have anymore.”
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Many young workers are already on board. Applications for apprenticeship programs have increased by 70% since 2022, Andrews said.
At Rosedale Technical College, where students also study automotive technology, diesel mechanics, carpentry, welding and other skilled trades, enrollment has increased 36% in the past five years, according to the school.
Vandall said of his trade school experience: “I think it’s a great opportunity, a great way to get your foot in the door, get started, get educated and feel fully prepared, especially when you’re getting into something like electrical. You really have to know what you’re doing.”
University costs are an important factor
In addition to providing students While it’s a career-related pathway that will help address the workforce shortage, job training programs are also much less expensive than a four-year college.
Research shows that the rising cost of higher education and the student loan debt that often accompanies it are major factors driving more students into short-term programs.
At four-year public colleges, in-state tuition and fees averaged $11,950 for the 2025-2026 academic year, while at private four-year schools, these costs averaged $45,000. Alternatively, tuition and fees at two-year public schools average $4,150. University Board.
Moreover, a growing number of states have implemented so-called promise programs that offer college students two years of free tuition, often at participating state colleges or other associate degree programs and professional schools.
According to other data, college enrollment rates are still rising, but largely due to gains at public universities and short-term certificate programs.
Enrollment in undergraduate certificate and associate degree programs increased by approximately 2% in fall 2025, while enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs increased by less than 1%. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Community colleges now enroll 752,000 students in undergraduate certificate programs; this is a 28% increase from just four years ago.
