3 Things Are Keeping Gen Z from Joining the Trades

How many mechanics and installers would the HVAC industry need to welcome in the next year in order to keep up with demand? If you guessed 37,700, you would be a winner.

But that is not a winning number for the HVAC contractors that need to hire them. We all know they don’t grow on trees. Take into consideration that going forward that number will grow by 6% each year, and the task gets even more daunting.

Given the median age of a U.S. home is 40 years, it is safe to say we need experts in all the trades to repair and maintain what is a person’s most valuable asset.

So, let’s get the younger generation more excited about the HVAC industry. I have had a few people on the ACHR NEWS podcast talking about that very subject. Some, in fact, were bullish on the prospect of getting the younger generation into the trades. They often referenced the Wall Street Journal article that said Gen Z is becoming the Toolbelt Generation.

As the saying goes, two steps forward and one step back. Jobber, a company that produces contractor software for the trades, produced their yearly blue-collar report, and the information was sobering.

Here are the three biggest obstacles standing in the way of the trades:

1. Family. The report showed that 61% of the Gen Z respondents said their parents haven’t spoken to them about vocational school or told them not to consider it.

The statistic is a bit alarming, considering the increasing cost of college coupled with AI advancements causing job instability. If parents don’t start changing their tune, it will be their kids that literally pay the price.

Family was identified as the biggest influencer when Gen Z was considering a career — and it wasn’t even close. Of the respondents, 50% said family, while the second-highest was a mentor at only 13%. This is undoubtedly being driven mostly by parents. The trades need parental buy-in.

2. Schools. Just 17% of those surveyed said that they have been educated about the benefits of vocational training during their high school years.

What a missed opportunity for high school counselors. Their job is to lay out all the options for their students. How did everything else stack up? Well, the majority of Gen Z (66%) felt they understood the benefits of a four-year bachelor’s degree. Community college was not far behind, with 55% feeling they understood the benefits. Vocational training was also significantly behind military service (33%) and entrepreneurship (30%).

Could the counselors be combining trades and entrepreneurship? Highly unlikely.

So far, we have family and schools hurting the trades. Just think how much time young folks spend at school and with their families. An uphill battle.

3. Hollywood. This is the one area that does not get much attention. However, Gen Z are “digital natives,” meaning they are the first generation to grow up with easy access to the internet. It is no wonder that media has a great influence in how they view different careers.

And let’s just say that Hollywood is not doing the HVAC industry — or other trades, for that matter — any favors.

Nearly half (47%) of Gen Z says tradespeople are generally portrayed negatively. Think about it and it makes sense. When they are portrayed in television shows or movies, they are incompetent at best. Think Tim Allen in Home Improvement. White-collar professionals are oftentimes portrayed as more successful.

So it is no surprise that 83% of Gen Z think that trade professionals do not have a strong sense of accomplishment compared to those white-collar professionals.

And another issue is that the trade folks in movies and television shows are almost always men. That makes it tough for an industry like HVAC that is trying to be more welcoming to females.

Family, school, and Hollywood influences are all affecting how many young people see HVAC as a viable career choice. HVAC contractors need to do their part to speak up and counter these narratives.