Watch the Crossroad’s Pine Street Apartments groundbreaking
Watch as Crossroads RI breaks ground on its Pine Street Apartments permanent supportive housing complex at 371 Pine St. in Providence
- Skilled labor jobs are vital to the economy and offer financial stability but are often undervalued.
- There’s a growing shortage of skilled tradespeople as baby boomers retire and not enough young people enter these fields.
- These careers often provide competitive salaries without the burden of student loan debt.
In a society that increasingly likens success with a college degree, we run the risk of devaluing the essential work that keeps our communities running. There is a prevailing narrative that to get on the best path forward, you need to go to college and earn a four-year degree. But this narrative overlooks an entire world of skilled labor and trades careers that offer financial stability, purpose and pride.
The truth is, college isn’t the only path to a meaningful career and life. And it shouldn’t be seen as the default.
Skilled labor – plumbing, electrical, welding, carpentry, HVAC and many others – forms the backbone of our economy. These are jobs that require intelligence, training and discipline, and are jobs that cannot be outsourced or easily automated. Yet despite their importance, labor careers are sometimes seen as “less than” in education and career counseling conversations. This stigma is not only outdated, it’s also harmful.
We’re facing a nationwide shortage of skilled tradespeople. Baby boomers are retiring, and not enough young people are stepping in to fill the void, even as sectors like construction are desperate for workers. This labor gap is more than a business problem, it’s a societal one, too. Roads go unrepaired, building projects lag, and families wait for home repairs.
Labor careers often offer strong salaries without the burden of student debt. Apprenticeships, union jobs and trade schools provide hands-on experience and direct entry into the workforce. And many tradespeople earn as much – or more – than their college-educated peers.
We must change how we talk to young people and to those seeking career guidance about their futures. Labor pathways need to be presented as a first choice, not as a fallback option. We need more investments in vocational training, more partnerships between schools, industry and community-based programs, and more recognition of the vital role these careers have on our daily lives.
It’s time to stop viewing labor and the trades as a consolation prize and be better at recognizing them for what they are: smart, sustainable career paths.
Robert Bush is the chief strategy officer at the United Way of Rhode Island.