Trade Schools Play a Pivotal Role in Supporting the Gen Z Workforce

Adapting to current trends keeps institutions at the forefront of training skilled welders
August 2025
By: ALEX DECLAIR

The U.S. skilled labor market is facing record-high pressure, with demand for skilled workers increasing, an aging population, and too few younger people entering the trades. Generation Z (Gen Z), loosely defined as people born around 1997 to 2012, will soon be the country’s largest manpower group. To attract this generation to the skilled trades and retain employees and students, organizations must adapt to current trends and cultural shifts. This article sheds light on the subject.

 

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