Schools & Society Support Emerging Trade Workers

Published 10 March 2025

Author
Nienke Creemers
2 min read

As we explore in Reframing Trade Professions, young people are questioning higher education and expressing interest in vocational careers – especially as white-collar hiring slows. Propelling their interest, schools are inaugurating with state-of-the-art vocational training workshops, while a brewing discourse dismantles ongoing prejudice against trade work.

  • Celebrating the Trades: Globally, 42% of trade workers aged 16-25 say social stigma is a major barrier to pursuing a vocational career, while 35% say they have faced parental pushback for their career choice (DeWalt, 2025).

    However, social media is casting trade work in a more favourable light. Among young people pursuing vocational pathways, 44% say influencers and brands inspired them (DeWalt, 2025). On TikTok, creators like @Joemcguigan, who lists his earnings as a carpenter, and @aiyannamonee, who showcases pre-apprenticeship carpentry classes, spotlight the positives of blue-collar work.

    Elsewhere, 2025-published book Maar Dat Begrijp Jij Toch Niet (But You Aren’t Able to Understand That) by Dutch author and vocational teacher Karim Amghar, challenges social prejudices on vocational schooling, presenting it as vital to society as the trades are responsible for construction, healthcare and energy supply.

  • Schools Set up Shop: US enrolment in vocational colleges rose by 14% between 2023 and 2024 (WSJ, 2025). Secondary education is also pivoting to prepare students for trade work. Middleton High School in Wisconsin (US) has completed a $90m renovation, adding state-of-the-art shop classes with computer-controlled machine tools and robotic arms. In Austin, Texas, the Spring Branch Independent School District is building a technical-education centre.

    Elsewhere, Wales will introduce a vocational certificate for 14-to 16-year-olds that can be taken instead of traditional theory-focused GCSEs in 2027. Vocational degrees will focus on fields such as construction, retail and public services.

 

See Reframing Trade Professions for more.