Hands-on Skills Make a Comeback in a World of AI
WASHINGTON (TNND) — While artificial intelligence continues to make inroads into the workplace, hands-on skills are experiencing a notable resurgence, drawing students to trade schools across the nation.
School districts nationwide are investing in updated trade programs, counteracting the trend of prioritizing newer technologies. Scott Shelar, President & CEO of ‘Construction Ready,’ a non-profit organization assisting individuals in finding trade jobs, reports a significant increase in interest. At their annual career expo last month, over 10,000 attendees flooded the Georgia World Congress Center—their largest turnout to date.
“We had our largest turnout ever. We had over 10,000 attendees,” Shelar said. Among the attendees were over 6,000 students from across the state of Georgia. These students had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of different trades.
“They could actually roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty and lay brick and block,” said Shelar.
Shelar believes the increasing interest in their career expos stems from the growing apprehension surrounding artificial intelligence.
“There’s a little bit of fear there that a lot of these white-collar jobs that college prepares you for are being replaced by AI,” Shelar stated. Students are also seeking alternatives to the high cost of traditional higher education.
“They just don’t want to take on hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt,” Shelar added.
According to Wilson Haworth, Director of Virtual Design at Juneau Construction, there is a substantial demand for young, ambitious employees in the industry.
“We absolutely need that investment. We need people coming in and the workforce to be developed,” Haworth said.
While most companies are incorporating AI technology, Haworth emphasizes that AI is not replacing employees but rather assisting them.
“We can actually start to think about the workers and we can start to think about the quality of life and we can achieve the same level of output with a higher quality of life,” Haworth explained.
Currently, Georgia public schools have over 17,000 students enrolled in 150 skilled trade construction and metals programs.
