By Susan Akinwalere
Publication Date: 2026-03-02 17:15:00
Today, Generation Z appears to be increasingly focused on skilled trades, perhaps driven by a desire for “AI-proof” job security. Given the rapid pace of change, many young workers now view blue-collar careers as more stable than office jobs.
It’s not just the youngest workers. A growing unease with AI is changing the way many people think about work. This change is clear in younger groups. In the UK, hiring of Generation Z workers (those born in 1997 or later) in construction and trade jobs increased by 16.8% in the year to January 2026. The result is what some call the “tool belt generation.”
But elsewhere in the workforce, many professionals are taking a pragmatic approach. Instead of competing with automation, they learn to collaborate with it. Gaining fluency using AI tools is increasingly seen as a form of career insurance.
The goal is to take on roles that design, manage or lead AI systems. In this model, technology becomes a…
