Gen Z in the US Choosing Technical Jobs Over College
Tuition Soars While Diploma Value Declines
Controversy in Korea: "Doctor Learning Welding" Criticized
A growing number of young Americans are choosing technical jobs over attending college, according to a recent survey.
On the 1st (local time), the U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported in an article titled "How Generation Z is Becoming the 'Tool Belt' Generation (a belt designed to hold various tools)" that preference for technical jobs is increasing. This trend appears to be due to the widespread perception that while college tuition has soared over the past several decades, increasing financial burdens, the value of a diploma has diminished.
Tanner Burgess (20), who completed a nine-month welding course at a vocational training school in the U.S. last fall, said, "Working in the field suits me better than a typical office job, and I think I can earn an annual salary in the 100 million won range in about five years." He added, "I have no regrets about not having a college diploma."
In fact, the number of students enrolling in vocational training colleges in the U.S. last year increased by 16% compared to the previous year, marking the highest level since the education nonprofit NSC began tracking related data in 2018. During the same period, the number of students studying construction technology and those learning vehicle maintenance increased by 23% and 7%, respectively.
As jobs like welding and plumbing offer high earnings, the negative image of technical jobs is also fading. Last year, wages for new construction workers rose 5.1% year-on-year to $48,089 (approximately 65 million won). In contrast, wage increases in the service sector were 2.7%, reaching $39,520 (about 53 million won). Salary analysis firm ADP explained that the median annual salary for entry-level construction workers has surpassed that of accountants and IT maintenance workers for four consecutive years.
Meanwhile, the recent surge in AI (artificial intelligence) has also contributed to the rising popularity of technical jobs. While AI can replace humans in paperwork, data processing, and coding, tasks that require physical labor such as plumbing cannot be immediately replaced by AI.
In South Korea as well, preference for technical jobs is increasing. The AI matching recruitment content platform 'Catch' conducted a survey last year of 2,446 Generation Z job seekers on the topic "Office job with an annual salary of 30 million won vs. technical job with an annual salary of 50 million won," and 72% chose the "technical job with an annual salary of 50 million won."
However, in South Korea, when the medical community opposed the government's plan to increase medical school admissions by claiming that "doctors are learning welding," the Korea Welding Association criticized this as "an insulting remark about welding." On the 3rd, Lim Hyuntaek, president of the Korean Pediatric Society, posted on social media (SNS) that "one of the pediatricians is learning welding and said they no longer want to live in such a country." In response, online communities flooded with criticism that the doctors’ sense of privilege blatantly showed disdain for certain professions.
Min Youngchul, president of the Korea Welding Association, told Kukmin Ilbo in an interview, "It seems doctors look down on welding too much," adding, "In the past, welding was treated as a 3D job for people with no other options, but now it is a profession that generates high added-value income."
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