For years, young people have heard that skilled trades offer solid careers, good pay, and an alternative to taking on college debt. Yet when it comes time to actually choose a path, many are apparently still being steered toward a traditional four-year degree.
A new DEWALT survey of more than 500 WorldSkills competitors across over 60 countries and regions found a noticeable disconnect between how people talk about skilled careers and how young workers are encouraged to prepare for them. According to the survey, 76 percent of respondents believe technical and vocational skills are becoming increasingly important to the global economy, while 51 percent think too few young people are entering the trades.
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That gap becomes even more obvious when looking at education. DEWALT says 71 percent of respondents believe the public image of technical and vocational careers has improved, yet 52 percent were encouraged toward traditional academic paths. Only 14 percent said they were encouraged toward technical or vocational careers, according to the same survey results.
This is particularly interesting as the technology industry becomes increasingly dependent on people who know how to build, install, repair, and maintain physical infrastructure. Artificial intelligence may dominate headlines, but AI does not exist in some magical cloud. Data centers need electricians, cooling systems, networking equipment, construction crews, technicians, and people capable of keeping increasingly complicated hardware running.
The same applies to semiconductor fabs, robotics, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications, and electric vehicles. Software can automate plenty of work, but someone still has to install the machines, wire the buildings, repair equipment, and maintain the physical systems underneath all of that technology.
That connection between traditional skills and newer technology is on display at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, where 1,400 young competitors are participating from more than 65 countries and regions. The event includes 64 different skills, covering everything from established trades to newer areas involving robotics, drones, and advanced technical work.
The DEWALT survey also suggests young workers want more practical ways into these careers. Forty-five percent of respondents said more opportunities to try skilled work firsthand could encourage participation, while 38 percent pointed to paid apprenticeships and other earn-while-you-learn programs. Another 88 percent said financial assistance is important for making technical or vocational education more accessible, according to DEWALT.
There is an important limitation here. DEWALT did not survey a random group of young people. It surveyed WorldSkills competitors, meaning the respondents are already deeply involved in skilled careers. Their answers should therefore be viewed as the perspective of young people already inside this world rather than a snapshot of an entire generation.
Still, the contradiction is hard to ignore. Employers increasingly talk about shortages of skilled workers, technology continues creating demand for people who can work with sophisticated physical systems, and schools and families appear to increasingly respect those careers. Yet many young people are still being pointed toward college first.
Maybe the problem with the skilled trades is no longer convincing people that these jobs matter. It is making vocational education feel like a legitimate first choice instead of the path students are expected to consider only after college does not work out.
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