Gen Z young professionals are reportedly now changing and/or pursuing careers that are "here to stay" amid the booming artificial intelligence technology, claims Lincoln Tech CEO Scott Shaw.
Due to the high expense of higher education, the debates surrounding it, and the potential threat artificial intelligence poses to certain white-collar jobs, a large portion of Generation Z is inclined to pursue trade schools and blue-collar jobs in order to fill the tech gap.
As younger generations choose to pursue trades and careers rather than pay for college tuition, enrollment in vocational community institutions has increased by 16% since 2018, according to a January 2024 National Student Clearinghouse report.
The Lincoln CEO outlines the demographics of people choosing higher vocational education and trade employment wherein the average age of pupils is 25, he noted, with 20% of them having just graduated from high school and 50% being 21 or younger.
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Decrease in College Education Pursuers
He also mentioned the kids who changed their minds completely and are now pursuing different vocations. According to him, a lot of people have tried college and changed careers since it was not the appropriate fit for them. These people now want to pursue their passions.
For the second year in a row, there was a reduction in undergraduate completions for the 2022-2023 academic year, according to a different Clearinghouse report that was made public in April. Still, there was an increase in first-time certificate holders in building, manufacturing, and mechanical or repair professions that year.
Fears that artificial intelligence may replace humans in jobs that have historically been performed by them in the workplace and in conflict are only growing.
AI Taking Over Jobs
In a recent piece, it was suggested that drones might eventually take the place of soldiers in combat, with AI deciding who to target. Machine intelligence is already being used by businesses to replace human work.
According to Immersive Labs' Director of Cyber Threat Research, Kev Breen, AI has had a major influence on the technology landscape in the past year, and companies are rushing to remain ahead of the curve. He goes on to note that although it is very popular, there is also a lot of FUD—fear, uncertainty, and doubt—as well as misinformation.
The recent, explosive advances in AI have led to the worry that AI will eventually replace humans. One area of concern is that AI systems can make important judgments without considering ethics, and another is the possibility of employment displacement in several industries.
An additional source of unease is the notion of autonomous weaponry and surveillance technologies functioning without human supervision. Not only are job losses a source of concern, but there are also serious ramifications for security, privacy, and the foundation of human civilization.
Large tech company SAP recently disclosed that it is cutting jobs despite spending over $2 billion on artificial intelligence. This is part of a significant organizational change.
SAP declared that it would change 8,000 jobs concurrently. This news suggests that while some people will lose their jobs, others will be trained for jobs involving artificial intelligence.
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(Photo: Tech Times)
