Can California convince teens to work in construction?

“So-” “I'm going to the University of Oregon.” “Colorado School of Mines.” “Syracuse University” “CSU—LA” “I wanted to be like a medical student. Now I want to be an electrical engineer.” It used to be a straightforward message about how to succeed in America. “Go to school, go to university, get a degree, and start making money.'' But times have changed. Student debt has skyrocketed. Jobs are hard to find and now AI threatens to upend the economy. “It seems like jobs are hard to find these days.'' “I've heard a lot about programmers being completely eliminated by AI.'' “It feels like the economy keeps working against us.'' “I don't think the perfect American dream exists anymore, honestly.'' In California, the AI ​​capital of the world, the state is keenly aware that students are looking for new options. “No one cares how much you know because ChatGPT knows more.” It's part of a national conversation happening in government, schools, and increasingly on the internet. “Why on earth would you go to college? Yeah, seriously.” “There are a lot of people who have multiple degrees and are broke.” “I became a millionaire in the construction industry a year and a half ago.” “I kept seeing people say, ‘I dropped out of high school, I dropped out of college, and I’m a millionaire.’” California is pouring money into practical trade programs in public schools. The state is struggling with a construction workforce shortage, and in 2021 the state doubled funding for such classes to help solve the problem. “Yes, let's strike like we owe money. So let's start off with a steep start so we can turn the hammer around. California's education system believes that if students don't go to a four-year college, they should have a choice. 95 percent of my students More than a cent, maybe more, but I don't think I've ever used a tool before in my life. And I think almost 100 percent have never used a power tool. “Tada, you know how to do it?'' This class existed. Before taking this class, I had never seriously thought about construction. ” “Actually, I thought maybe I should go to vocational school. Or maybe I shouldn't focus so much on aeronautical engineering as a degree.'' “AI isn't going to build a house. AI isn't going to weld anything.'' “Someone came and talked to our class about being an electrician, and you could still make $200,000 a year.” More students across the country are choosing to go to trade school, but there's still a stigma against working with your hands, and there's still a lot of power in going to college. “Yes—yes. Almost 100 percent.” “I think a lot of people, especially the older generation, still believe that the trade is dirty.” “I have very good carpentry students, and their parents still want them to go to university, so I totally respect that.” “I come from an immigrant family, so the pressure is even more. They're supportive. They're just a little disappointed that I'm not going to college.” “They don't want their sons and daughters to be in the industry. They see it as less than that. And I try to have conversations with them and tell them that the trades are a great place to make a living. Here you go.” But for this generation of Bay Area kids who grew up during the pandemic and are seeing big changes in the tech industry, the overall feeling is that no path is safe. “As you can see, we just made these little kitchen tiles, and they look great to me. If I make the wrong decision, I could end up in a debt spiral and get stuck.” “I don't have any friends who really want to go into tech because of AI.” “I'm paying $400,000, so what am I getting for it?” “Will I be able to get all this back if I get a job?” “And here we have a storage room. Especially this generation, you have to really think about what you do, because if your plans are not future-proof, the world is going to eat you up. It's a very small, but very cozy little house.”