A report by Validated Insights found that enrollment in trade school has increased 4.9 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic. This is vastly different than the 0.6 percent decline in enrollment that universities have faced during the same time period. Pre-COVID, trade schools were experiencing a 2.3 percent decline as more students were pushed toward going to a traditional four-year university.
People born between the years 1995 – 2012, according to USC Libraries. The pandemic hit most of the generation at pivotal ages, with the oldest of the bunch just getting their footing in the workforce while the youngest were getting used to being in school every day. Many had to watch caretakers and loved ones lose their job because of the pandemic, making many realize that the traditional office setting might not be the right fit if it doesn’t offer optimal job security.
Not all trades are created equally, though. According to the report, healthcare trade schools have seen consistent growth in enrollment from 2017 to 2023. Meanwhile, enrollment at skilled trade schools grew 1.2 percent from 2020 to 2023, with the top 10 schools enrolling 96.6 percent of schools.
Search traffic for trade schools is growing at a faster rate than enrollments, though at 8 percent from 2017 to 2023 compared to 0.4 percent. Social media could largely play a role in these gains. As FacilitiesNet previously reported, social media algorithms have started feeding Gen Z videos of what trade jobs actually look like. Skilled professionals are saying that their jobs are becoming more “instagrammable,” with posts increasing 52 percent year-over-year on TikTok and Instagram.
Whether tenured professionals want to believe it or not, the younger generation is genuinely interested in learning trade skills. However, only 41 percent of respondents have access to trade programs in their school. Currently, there is a 7 percent of teens are interested in enrolling in a trade school, compared to the 4 percent pre-pandemic.
Gen Z is seven times more likely to regret attending a four-year university opposed to a trade school. Besides social media, Gen Z has started going to trades school for the following reasons:
While the interest is there, it is up to today’s managers to remain engaged about finding the next generation of trades talent. That means being willing to take a chance on the newbie who just wants to get their foot in the door. Managers should be willing to train new applicants on the job and create mentorship programs so they can get further acquainted with the field.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor for the facilities market.
