Are We About To See A Massive Blue-Collar Wave?

April 12, 2024 •

Hey Contrarians,

Ever catch that wild South Park special about how every handyman in town becomes extremely wealthy? (Like, billionaire-building-rocket-to-space-just-because-they-can… wealthy.)

The premise was that white-collar workers became displaced by AI and realized that they had no idea how to do anything, especially not with their hands, and as a result — the handymen achieved world domination.

Well, they say there’s a grain of truth in every joke. So today, we’re diving into this joke’s truth.

Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn about:

Gen Z’s trendy new dress code: blue collars
Let’s dive into the data…
Is this WILDLY different approach the way forward?

Gen Z’s trendy new dress code: blue collars

The Wall Street Journal is calling them “the toolbelt generation.”

But they’d probably just call themselves a bunch of smart, fed-up 18-year-olds.

Practically anywhere you look, interest in blue-collar entrepreneurship is rising among the youth.

Spurring it, in part? These trends:

Rising blue-collar pay
Better blue-collar tech
Less blue-collar stigma
The insane price of college

That last one is a biggie. Just think about the situation on the ground.

While those in business service roles make a median $78,500 compared to $69,200 in construction…

… Recent studies have shown that the return on investment for many new college grads just isn’t there. According to the data, more than half of college graduates are ending up with high school-level jobs where their skills or degrees aren’t needed.

So put yourself in the shoes of a pre-college teen today and imagine you have this train of thought…

You’re using ChatGPT to cheat on a homework assignment, and starting to piece together how people might lose their jobs because of tools like it. In fact, as of last year, 56% of you and your peers said y’all believed blue-collar jobs offered more job security than white-collar ones.
You’re also seeing pay rise almost twice as much for new construction hires (up 5.1% to $48,089 in 2023) as it is for new professional service hires (up 2.7% to $39,520).
You see the role college debt has played in depressing a generation’s potential for building wealth — and that the costs are only showing signs of rising further.
You already like working on your grandpa’s old car. You like doing things with your hands. You’ve always been entrepreneurial.

So sure, it’s not for everyone, but for you, maybe a trade… might just make some sense…

Now let’s dive into the data…

Remember that train of thought we described above?

First of all — that’s a problem if you don’t.

Second of all — it’s a train that’s clearly making stops at more and more young minds…

Vocational school enrollment is growing wayyyyyy faster than that of a traditional 4-year college, rising 16% last year.

That’s despite the fact that 74% of young people surveyed by Jobber say there’s a stigma associated with going to a vocational school.

We expect that number to drop, and that’s a big deal. It’s also much needed.

Widespread shortages persist across the blue-collar workforce. The country’s roads and houses are growing old. Boomers are retiring at a rapid clip.

As the average American’s hair grows grey (silver, to be nice), these gaps could widen.

The good news is: Efforts made to address them TODAY will pay dividends for years to come.

In some instances, we’re already seeing this play out.

While the whole country continues growing older, the age of an electrician, mechanic, and plumber is trending younger.

The question, then, is: How do we continue to encourage, support, and inspire those looking to get their hands dirty — and possibly become Main Street entrepreneurs?

We educate them like nothing you’ve ever seen…

15 years from now, don’t be surprised if you wake up one day and it’s a norm across the country for your kid to opt for vocational school or small business ownership.

That much, we’re fairly confident in.

But as for kickstarting that process?

The blueprint for that may well sit at the corner of Innovation Boulevard and Inspiration Way.

No, those aren’t made up. Those are real streets in Forney, Texas — the home of an educational experiment the likes of which you’ve never seen.

It’s called Opportunity Central. And seriously, it looks like an enormous, state-of-the-art shopping mall:

… Because, just inside, on the publicly accessible ground floor, that’s exactly what you’ll find: a mall.

Inside the mall — a BBQ joint.

Right down the hall from that — a salon.

Turn your head — a home decor boutique, a bakery, and a cafe.

Around back — an automotive repair shop.

In fact, the facility houses 2-dozen small businesses like these, along with a 7,500-seat arena, space for remote workers, and more.

But right smack dab on top of it all?

A 2-story high school.

The idea is simple but profound: In return for a discount on leases, the business owners offer mentorship, hands-on education, and in some cases, paid work opportunities for these students as part of school.

“Upstairs are classrooms, downstairs is where students really learn,” as one reporter put it.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved. Learning becomes more practical (and fun), businesses grow, the school offsets its costs, and the community strengthens.

THIS is the kind of idea we need more of.

The kind of idea that helps people develop a wide variety of real-world skills while teaching them how to think.

If you know of something similar, let us know — we’d love to learn about it.