GEN Z’S SHIFTED PRIORITIES LEAVE ROOM FOR OPPORTUNITY
BY ALLISON ROGERS
An article titled “How Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation”, published in the Wall Street Journal, recently went viral on LinkedIn. In this article, author Ti-peng Chen outlines how Gen Z’s current “skepticism about the return on a college education,” along with “new technologies in fields from welding to machine tooling are giving trades professions a face-lift, helping them shed the image of being dirty, low-end work.” Bodyworx Professional, of course, celebrates this.
Toward the end of the article, Chen cites data from software company Jobber, which ran a survey among American high school and college-age youth last year. According to the data, 75 percent of respondents said they would be interested in vocational schools offering paid, on-the-job training. The primary driver for respondents, according to Jobber—the belief that ‘blue collar jobs’ offer better job security than ‘white collar ones,’ given the growth of AI.
In the same vein, nearly 80 percent of respondents on Jobber’s survey said their parents wanted them to attend traditional postsecondary— i.e., college or university. Earnings are the primary factor noted by parents: payroll service provider ADP data suggests collegeeducated workers earn more over time, Chen notes in the article. The Wall Street story, backed with Jobber’s data, demonstrates that, despite their parents’ wishes, plenty of Gen Z is more than happy to (consider) going against their wishes.
This reiterates a point I made a few issues ago, where I discussed my constant bafflement with the fact that so many in our industry seem to turn to the parents of the people we’re recruiting, rather than to the individuals themselves. So many programs and efforts—ones run by renowned organizations!—place huge priority on speaking to parents; convincing parents collision repair isn’t the “dirty work” they think it is; and getting them on board with the fact their son or daughter could spend a significant portion of their life on a bodyshop production floor.
There are countless resources out there that will tell you that the youth we are looking to recruit right now—Gen Z—are a generation that place supreme value in their personal autonomy. They want independence; to be treated as an individual. I know this for a fact, because I am Gen Z…right on the cusp, okay?!
Also in the article, Chen states that the number of students enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges in the U.S. rose 16 percent last year, reaching the highest level since regular data collection began in 2018. They note that, in the U.S., the number of students studying construction trades rose 23 percent from 2018 to 2023, whereas trades like HVAC and vehicle maintenance and repair rose seven percent.
A modest increase, compared to higher paying trades. The median pay for new construction hires rose 5.1 percent in the U.S. just in the last year, according to payroll services provided ADP. It was the fourth year that median annual pay for new construction hires saw significant increases.
We need to take different steps to solve the skills shortage. Throwing money at the problem, promising vague action won’t work. Talking to parents and educating them on modern collision repair facilities won’t suddenly spawn a new generation of workers we can rely on. We need real action, and fast.
