“A survey by Deloitte found that less than 3 in 10 parents would encourage their children to pursue a career in manufacturing.” However, because manual labor jobs aren’t viewed as “glamorous” or stereotyped as “last resort jobs for people who didn’t go to college,” many parents and even schools are not encouraging students to learn more about these potentially lucrative career paths. Therefore, college has become their fallback because in high school it was drilled into their heads to just “go to college.” Yet, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, “nationwide, three out of 10 high school grads who go to four-year public universities haven’t earned degrees within six years.” In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a few of the 20 fastest growing occupations are blue-collar positions - solar photovoltaic installers, wind turbine service technicians, and bicycle repairers.įor most young individuals, the American dream is to go to college and get a 4-year degree, however, many students go to universities without a plan or a career in mind. “Functioning cars, clean roads, air-conditioned homes, and fresh food are all the result of blue-collar output.”īlue-Collar Jobs Are in High Demand Todayīlue-collar positions are declining at an alarming rate as the older generations quit and retire from their jobs, which means the demand for these jobs is getting even higher.

However, it’s these jobs that help society function as a whole and allow us to live our comfortable lives. There is a very serious, concerning trend happening in the blue-collar workplace: Baby Boomers are retiring, but the younger generations either lack the job skills to replace them or lack the interest to pursue these careers, resulting in a huge decline of construction, manufacturing and engineering jobs.Įven though college attendance by Millennials is at a higher rate than previous generations with nearly 1.9 million earning their bachelor’s degree, their interests are in different industries, such as technology, business, social sciences, and other fields.Īs the younger generations think about their lives and the careers they want to pursue, let’s be honest, they aren’t dreaming of becoming a forklift driver, septic tank cleaner, bridge painter, or electrician.

9 Key Ways to Hire & Retain Blue-Collar Workers

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