One of us wrote a LinkedIn post this past week that seems to have struck a chord with a lot of folks. We commented on a recent WSJ article detailing how some high-school graduates are entering the workforce with offers as high as $70,000 for careers in the skilled trades. While the attention grab may just be one anecdote, we are seeing significantly more discussion across the board on the skilled trades.
The challenges in the skilled trades labor market, and how these challenges will likely get worse before they get better, are being driven by a few high-level trends:
- The US population is aging, and a meaningful proportion of the skilled trades workforce will retire over the next decade. This will be especially pronounced among those in supervisory and journeyman roles.
- Too few young people are entering the skilled trades. According to a fall 2023 survey, ~74% of 18 to 20-year-olds still see a stigma associated with vocational schools.
- Demand for skilled trades roles is likely to increase, driven by increased domestic manufacturing investment and technological advancements (more people to maintain equipment vs. in front-line production roles.)
Trends one and three are largely set in motion, but the increased attention on why skilled trades can be a great career path has the potential to make a real difference. Closer to home, Middleton High School in Madison, WI was just highlighted nationally for its investment in skilled trades and the significant uptick in students taking advantage of skilled trades course offerings.
Some of this momentum may be too late to meaningfully impact the labor force over the next five years (skilled trades roles require extensive training and career progression requires years of on-the-job training). That said, we are facing a big gap, and the pendulum swinging back toward the skilled trades is a necessary shift to improve the medium- to long-term outlook.
We are vocally celebrating these early signs of renewed interest in the trades. However, in our minds, the core focus is about education, transparency, and removing biases. We aren’t believers that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to the job market, and we don’t presume that one job is inherently better than another. Well-informed individuals can pursue different paths that turn into fantastic careers.
As another Spherion franchisee was known to say, “Everyone isn’t right for every job, but there is a job for everyone.” What our team does each day is try to help people find that job.
Until next time,
Your Spherion South Central WI & Northern IL team