As we enter “graduation season” for our local public high schools this week (Columbia County) and next (Richmond and Aiken Counties), I know that many of you, both as parents and business leaders, are wondering what the job market of the future will look like. Rapid technological development and recent tariff and immigration policies may likely accelerate some of the changes that have been occurring in the workplace, but some of the other recent changes will continue to move forward. Here are some of the more important trends that are going on in the job market that may influence career choices of young people, the skill sets young and older people choose to develop, and how all of this may impact the way we prepare people for future work and how we choose who to hire.
- Recognizing the Value of the “Trades”: Due to the combination of a lack of (and decreasing) supply and increasing demand has made for a hiring crunch for skilled tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians, welders, and carpenters. Since the late 1980s, there has been a stigma against the trades and vocational schools to the point that according to a 2023 survey, 74% of 18–20-year-olds felt such a stigma against vocational schools and 79% indicated their parents wanted them to go to a traditional four-year college rather than pursuing a vocational path. Therefore, a disproportionate number of tradespeople are reaching retirement age, while increasing demand for infrastructure and housing is driving the need for more tradespeople. This is resulting in increasing opportunities for such jobs, with wages growing significantly faster than in most other fields. Anecdotally, we are hearing of students in welding programs being offered $70,000 annual salaries out of high school. For many young people, it will make more sense to pursue a trade rather than attend a four-year college with an uncertain career path.
- Manufacturing Jobs are Changing: Due to the increased implementation of automation, robotics, and other technological advancements, there are now fewer manufacturing jobs, and they demand different skill sets. Even if the current tariff policy brings more manufacturing to the U.S., it will bring less jobs with manual task orientation and more emphasis on working with these advanced technologies. Programs locally at Augusta Tech and Aiken Tech are focused on preparing students for such jobs. Similarly to the trades, working in an advanced manufacturing environment should no longer have the stigma of being less than the jobs of graduates of four-year colleges.
- Technology Mastery and/or Fluency: Since I am a university professor, you might be surprised that so far, I have focused on areas that do not require college degrees. There is still more opportunity than ever for college graduates, but the skill sets are changing, and much of it has to do with technology. For many, success will come from being a creator or developer of technology. Such areas as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Cyber Security will require those with technological expertise to continue to break new ground in these areas. However, each of these areas have applications across many, if not all, industries. Therefore, to succeed in jobs of the future, most will need not develop these technologies, but rather to understand them and how to implement them in their industry or function. The applications of AI are boundless, but it will be critical for those in the workforce to understand how to best leverage AI in their markets.
- Human-Centric Skills: While it might seem contradictory or counterintuitive, as technology exercises more and more influence in the workplace, the more there will be a need for the “human touch.” No matter the industry or business function, there are certain characteristics or skills that humans possess that technology cannot replicate. Things such as leadership, teamwork, communication, empathy, and the building of trust are human skills that are difficult to emulate. Areas as disparate as health care and sales demonstrate the need for human interaction even when technology is essential. In health care, despite advances in diagnostic and surgical technology and pharmaceuticals, the ability of doctors and nurses to administer care and communicate what the patient is experiencing is essential to positive outcomes. In sales, while AI can provide much of the essential product information to the prospective customer, it is the salesperson who can provide the empathy and trust that will eventually land the sale. As our lives become more technologically intensive, the need for personal interaction will grow.
As we can see from the above, as always, the needs of the job market are diverse and allow for many different types of people with different skill sets to succeed. However, I think we need most of our future workers to be comfortable with technology and have the human-centric skills necessary to work with others and engender trust. Therefore, it is critically important that at all levels of education, starting in pre-school and elementary school and progressing through the completion of formal education, the complementary, not contradictory, skill sets of technology familiarity and human-centric skills need to be at the forefront of education. In a future column, I will make my latest pitch for the use of mandatory national service as a primary tool for developing the skills in our workforce to maintain our position as the world’s economic leader.
