As scores of skilled trade workers age out of their careers and settle into retirement, the industry is taking a tumultuous turn. Even though the demand for construction and other skilled trade projects is steadily increasing, 41% of the current workforce is expected to retire in the next six years. These projections aren’t just trends, they’re warnings. As companies already grapple with the skilled trade worker shortage, the problem is only going to get worse. The need for fresh talent has never been more apparent.
Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z holds the key to skilled trade continuity. As the latest generation to enter the workforce, Gen Z employees will be trainable and operable for decades to come— ut it’s not as simple as just giving them the job. While these young workers often get a bad rap for being unmotivated or lazy, research shows that Gen Z is highly invested in professional development opportunities. In fact, nearly 80% of Gen Z workers will seek out a new job if their current employer doesn’t offer opportunities for upskilling and continued career growth.
Revitalizing the skilled trade industry is more complex than just putting young workers at the jobsite. If organizations want to truly engage Gen Z workers and retain their talent for years to come, they need to show loyalty from day one.
Loyalty Starts with Understanding
For many, loyalty may sound like a lofty term with no real parameters, but fostering a sense of trust between company and Gen Z is simpler than you think. To prove loyalty to a new generation of skilled trade workers, companies need to understand Gen Z’s upbringing, lifestyle, and preferences to put work on their terms. In other words, skilled trade leaders need to meet young professionals where they are: online.
As the first generation to grow up in a digital-focused, hyperconnected world, Gen Z workers are comfortable in a world run by smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Through their primitive years, electronics were always present, keeping Gen Z connected, educated, and entertained. Now, it’s difficult to turn back. In order to recruit and retain a new generation of workers, skilled trade stakeholders need to invest in hands-on, tech-driven work experiences that echo every other experience Gen Z has grown up with.
Knowing that young workers put special emphasis on their professional growth and development, companies should start by looking at their training and learning experiences, which are oftentimes too traditional to resonate with Gen Z workers.
Impress Gen Z with High-Tech Training and Learning
Even though Gen Z workers appreciate a company’s commitment to their career growth, print materials, long-form trainings, and other lectures don’t stand a chance of resonating with most of these employees. If a company isn’t willing to cater to Gen Z’s learning preferences, the push for continued education may be as good as futile.
Instead, skilled trade leaders should focus on hands-on, hyper-personalized learning materials that satiate the always-on generation. By offering digital training, companies are not just helping Gen Z learn in a way that’s more likely to stick, they’re also proving their loyalty to young workers right off the bat—setting a positive tone for what is to come.
Putting forth high-tech educational tools doesn’t just mean sitting Gen Z workers in front of a computer screen to watch training videos, it means implementing a variety of different technologies that accommodate their learning style: interactive, asynchronous, and to-the-point. By growing up in the digital age with on-demand access to information and short-form entertainment, Gen Z likes to do things on their own time, often with shorter attention spans than their older counterparts. When it comes to Gen Z, skilled trade stakeholders need to consider educational tools that are flexible, digestible, and experiential, especially as they try to resonate and build rapport with modern-day talent.
To build a foundation of trust with Gen Z, companies should underscore their commitment to high-tech, continuing education by offering tools such as:
- Mobile learning platforms and on-demand video libraries: Offer brief, interactive training models and videos that Gen Z workers can access at any time, from any device, at any place—whether they’re on the job or at home. This gives employees the flexibility to digest bits of information at their own pace and revisit instruction whenever they want.
- Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR): Simulate real jobsite environments and tasks without high-risk consequences. VR lets Gen Z workers sharpen their skills, such as welding and machine operating, in a controlled manner, while AR improves accuracy and efficiency by overlaying instructions for physical tasks.
- Digital access to codes and standards: Keep educational tools completely up to date by giving Gen Z access to codes and standards on the device of their choosing. Not only will they appreciate the real-time updates that enhance their learning, but young employees will also benefit from the option to quickly search for the information they need or bookmark content to revisit later.
Looking Ahead with Gen Z at the Helm
The future of skilled trades depends on how effectively today’s industry leaders adapt to the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. With Gen Z poised to fill a widening talent gap, now is the time to rethink how we recruit, train, and retain young professionals. Attracting and keeping Gen Z employees isn’t just about the best paycheck, it’s about loyalty—promising these young workers purpose, growth, and innovation. To start, companies need to align work environments with Gen Z’s digital fluency. As the skilled trades industry looks to usher in a new era of resilience and long-term success, staying loyal to young talent is the way to go.
Bartholomew Jae is the director of education and development at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
To learn more about ways to address the labor shortage, make sure to sign up for Facilities Management Advisor‘s upcoming webinar, “Bridging the Gap: Next-Gen Workforce Development in Facilities Management.” Details and FREE registration are available here.