Skilled trade workers are in big demand and short supply and it just might be a career pathway you should consider. WorkingNation and Scripps News have partnered on a new series, Fire Up Your Career, to explore the types of jobs available, what employers are doing to attract talent, and how you can get the skills needed for these good-paying jobs popping up all across the country. Read the article, then watch the video below of WorkingNation on Scripps News discussing what’s driving the demand and creating new job opportunities in the skilled trades.
America needs more skilled trade workers.
They build and repair our buildings, our vehicles, our roads, and our energy grid. They are our electricians, plumbers, construction workers, machinists, auto technicians, and more. And they are in short supply.
A boom in commercial and home construction, an influx of federal funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law, a revival in manufacturing, and an aging workforce all are factors contributing to a worker demand that is going unmet.
Many of these jobs are union jobs with benefits and they don’t require a four-year college degree.
So, is a job in the skilled trades right for you?
What’s the Employment Outlook for These Careers?
The employment outlook for skilled trade workers is strong, with demand across the industries expected to continue to grow to meet employers’ needs. Construction and manufacturing are two examples in which employers say they want to, and need to, hire more workers.
Large-scale construction is putting demands on the number of needed workers with a significant increased spending for manufacturing facilities.
According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, “Real manufacturing construction spending has doubled since the end of 2021. The surge comes in a supportive policy environment for manufacturing construction: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and CHIPS Act each provided direct funding and tax incentives for public and private manufacturing construction.”
About 646,000 construction jobs openings are projected each year through 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Associated Builders and Contractors trade organization projects that number could be even higher, saying the industry needs to attract more than half a million additional workers on top of its normal pace of hiring this year to meet that worker growth.
Those buildings need electricity, which is fueling the need for electricians. Employment of electricians is projected to grow 11% from 2023 to 2033. About 80,200 openings for electricians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
The Manufacturing Institute (MI) says manufacturing has made a comeback, thanks in part to the CHIPS Act and the IIJA. and employers are poised to hire millions more.
MI’s president and executive director Carolyn Lee tells WorkingNation that employment in manufacturing is “hovering at 13 million and that means we have recovered from all the jobs that were originally lost during the Great Recession.”
Lee says employers continue to hire, but there are still almost 600,000 open jobs in the industry every month. According to a recent report, over the next eight year, the manufacturing industry will need as many as 3.8 million additional workers.
What Training Do You Need?
For many of these skilled trade jobs, you don’t need a four-year degree and there are several ways to get the training you need to get hired.
A registered apprenticeship is a proven pathway to a good career, combining a paid job with training in an in-demand industry. At the end of the training, you can walk away with an industry-recognized credential that you can build on with additional training and experience.
More than 800,000 people apprentice across the country each year in dozens of fields, including advanced manufacturing, electrician, construction laborers, construction truck drivers, roofers, and carpenters.
Apprenticeship.gov, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, offers a step-by-step guide to finding an employer or program sponsor offering apprenticeships.
Another option is training through an accredited trade school at your local community college. One of the appeals of this pathway is the cost, which is often less than a four-year school. Another is how quickly you can join the workforce.
In two years or less, it is possible to get the training you need for skills trade jobs in your city. Local employers work with the the community colleges to design programs to train students for their current jobs. Cost varies and in some cases it is paid by an employer who needs workers quickly.
Many high schools also offer career technical education (CTE) in the skilled trades, preparing students for current and emerging professions. Students are provided with hands-on experience and education giving them the knowledge and skills they need for these jobs. Sometimes the high school classes are offered as part of a dual credit program, giving them both high school and community college credit and a quicker pathway to an industry credential.
Of course, not all skilled trade workers have specialized training before they enter the workforce. Many are hired first and learn on the job.
What Kind of Money Can You Make?
Skilled trade jobs are often good-paying union careers with benefits.
According to the BLS, the median annual wage for this group of occupations was $55,680 in May of last year, higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $48,060. Like most jobs, pay varies with the type of job and the city and state you live in.
The 2023 median pay for specific skilled trades jobs that, typically, require a high school diploma or the equivalent, include:
- Boilermaker at $71,140
- Electrician at $61,590
- Plumber, pipefitter, steamfitter at $61,550
- Ironworker at $60,780
- Carpenter at $56,350
What’s Stopping You?
The current skilled trades workforce is aging and the younger generations have mixed feelings about skilled trades as a lifelong career.
“Moreover, Gen Z workers report persistent cultural barriers to vocational training. Despite a recent 3% rebound in vocational enrollment (up from 2018 levels), a survey of 1,000 U.S.-based 18- to 20-year-olds found that 74% perceive a stigma associated with choosing vocational school over a traditional four-year university.”
A report from Jobber finds 75% of surveyed respondents are interested in learning more about vocational schools that offer paid, on-the-job training. Additionally, job security was identified by respondents as the most important factor for selecting a career.
More specifically, according to Thumbtack, with concern over the declining skilled trade labor force, 47% of young adult survey respondents express interest in a trade profession and 83% believe that learning a skilled trade is sometimes a better route to economic security than attending college.
Fire Up Your Career: The Skilled Trades
All this week, WorkingNation and our partner Scripps News will continue to explore the opportunities in the skilled trades, what’s driving the demand for workers, and programs that are helping to fill the worker shortfall.
Tune into Scripps News each morning this week at 9:45 am ET to hear from our WorkingNation team as part of our Fire Up Your Career special coverage.
Monday morning, editor-in-chief Ramona Schindelheim joined the Morning Rush show to discuss why the skilled trades could be the right career pathway for you.
You can also find more of our extensive WorkingNation coverage on the skilled trades here on our website.
