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Dive Brief:

• Social media is increasingly driving an interest in skilled trades careers among members of Generation Z, generally defined as people born from 1997 to 2012, according to a report from home services app Thumbtack.
• Social media is the second-largest driver of Gen Z career paths, with 55% of Gen Z respondents now saying they are considering a career in the skilled trades, up 12% from last year, Thumbtack says in its Future of the Skilled Trades report. Two out of three Gen Zers say social media has made them more interested in the trades, according to Thumbtack, which surveyed 1,000 Gen Z respondents in July.
• The Thumbtack report also found that 93% of Gen Z college graduates and 80% of parents surveyed said learning a skilled trade can be a better route to economic security than college.

Dive Insight:

The Thumbtack report comes amid labor shortages in the skilled trades — a problem made worse by early retirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people could help to fill those roles.    

The report’s findings could be “good news for both Gen Z and our communities: their interest in the trades will help to fill much needed gaps as plumbers, electricians, and contractors retire, building much needed infrastructure and housing supply,” Marco Zappacosta, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack, said in a statement.

Employers in Austin, Texas, are among those who have struggled to keep up with the demand for skilled trade jobs, according to Luis Castillo, a manager in the skilled trades programs in Austin Community College's continuing education department. For the past decade, the city has been one of the country’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. The city’s growth has led to more job openings than job seekers for HVAC positions, Castillo said. 

Castillo added that companies bring in workers from other Texas cities, like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, to fill skilled trade jobs in Austin.

According to data provided by Castillo, about 92% of students who attend ACC’s continuing education HVAC program find jobs. Of those who find jobs, about 47% are hired by HVAC service providers and 45% by property management companies, he said.  

Castillo said that in his experience, recent high school graduates have not played much of a role in filling the need for HVAC workers. HVAC jobs are “not easy,” he noted. Instead, young people tend to learn to appreciate skilled trade careers after they have held other jobs at places like Taco Bell and McDonald’s, he said. 

“They need to have a reference to say, ‘Yes, [HVAC work] is a good job, because now I will have medical benefits, vacations, 401k, and a better salary,’” Castillo said.