Remember the good ol’ days when Claude was your uncle from Wisconsin, Copilot was the guy helping fly the plane, and Gemini was your astrological sign if you were born in early summer? Today, these names—along with ChatGPT—are the top artificial intelligence (AI) assistants available on computers and smartphones everywhere.
Just a few years ago, very few had heard of these AI assistants. Today, they’re ubiquitous. Not only are they influencing the way we search for information and generate content, but they’re also fundamentally changing the way many people perform their jobs.
This isn’t just an issue for people currently employed. It’s also increasingly becoming an issue for students, the next wave of workers ready to enter the workplace. In fact, the rise of AI is impacting how young people are deciding upon which careers to pursue.
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by Rachel Wolfe and Te-Ping Chen, many young people are trying to figure out how to “AI-proof themselves.” According to the authors, “[t]hey’ve got their whole careers ahead of them, and they’re navigating a technology with a still-uncertain impact. Young people are shifting gears in school or training for new careers due to fears that AI threatens their job prospects.”
They point out that “AI’s workplace impact, including its potential to help careers, remains more the subject of economics papers than hard evidence. But young people, especially those just launching into long working lives ahead of them, are starting to navigate their future career choices with AI in mind.”
For example, “[s]ome are pivoting to blue-collar work or starting their own businesses that may insulate them from the impacts of AI.” Wolfe and Chen note that “Ryder Paredes, 22, began studying computer science as an undergraduate three years ago…But by last year, AI’s abilities had improved so much Paredes feared he wouldn’t be employable. He dropped out of college last year and is now in trade school studying to be an electrician.”
Paredes isn’t alone either. The authors cite National Student Clearinghouse data that reveals that “[e]nrollment at vocational-focused community colleges has boomed in recent years, growing by nearly 20% since 2020.”
This shift toward jobs in the trades can trace its origin, at least in part, to concerns about AI. Wolfe and Chen note that “[a] recent Harvard survey of Americans between ages 18 and 29 showed that 59% said they saw AI as a threat to their job prospects, with college graduates in particular sharing such concerns.”
Similarly, “[a] survey last year of 3,020 Americans 16 and older by workforce nonprofit Jobs for the Future showed widespread worry about AI-related job displacement.” More workers in the trades would certainly be welcomed by industries that have been struggling for years to fill open positions.
Still, workers in the trades will need to possess critical technological skills to thrive in a modern manufacturing environment that has been significantly impacted by advanced automation technologies, including AI.
Training students and workers for modern careers in the trades can seem daunting. Fortunately, there are experts available to guide manufacturers and educational institutions through the process. For example, both manufacturers and educators can benefit from the expertise of the technical training experts at Amatrol.
Amatrol has been the world leader in technical education for more than four decades now. The experts at Amatrol can provide needed guidance on everything from training and hands-on skill development to industry-standard certifications and apprenticeships.
The experts at Amatrol have been working alongside manufacturers and educational institutions for years to design training programs featuring eLearning curriculum and hands-on experience with trainers equipped with industrial components workers will encounter on the job. For more information about how Amatrol can help train students or workers, contact an expert at Amatrol today!
