America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that to Gen Z – By Mary Yang (NPR) / Jan 5, 2023
Justin Mwandjalulu, 20, loves to build stuff.
These days, as a carpentry apprentice, he installs drywall in houses with the rest of his construction crew. But he said he likes concrete the best.
“At the end of the day, you see how you poured everything. The result of your hard work,” he said.
Mwandjalulu dreamed of becoming a carpenter or electrician as a child. And now he’s fulfilling that dream. But that also makes him an exception to the rule. While Gen Z — often described as people born between 1997 and 2012 — is on track to become the most educated generation, fewer young folks are opting for traditionally hands-on jobs in the skilled trade and technical industries.
