The Move Young Workers Are Making As AI Upends Career Paths

I have to start this article by clarifying that I’m not against AI. In fact, I’ve written before for this site about how AI can be used to support your employees instead of becoming a threat to their jobs.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, hopefully no one will misunderstand my next point — which is that irresponsible AI use has demonstrably made the internet worse for a lot of people. From inaccuracies caused by model biases to privacy concerns, humanity is grappling with a whole new range of ethical concerns that didn’t exist before this technology.

But while AI is fundamentally transforming the experience of being online, skilled trades that focus on the real world are flourishing. As the founder of a national roof restoration brand with decades of industry experience, I’ve seen a sharp uptick in talent entering the trades in recent years. And I’m convinced that AI is actually helping drive this trend.

The white-collar job market is no longer a safe bet

It used to be widely believed that going to college was the surest way for a young person to land a good job. There’s a debate to be had somewhere else whether that was ever true, but one thing’s for certain: It’s not true anymore.

According to research from Cengage Group, only 30% of post-secondary graduates land entry-level jobs in their chosen field as of 2025, and more than half report feeling unprepared for the labor market. This represents a five-year low and points towards an uncertain future for prospective talent in industries that typically require degrees.

What’s driving this trend? For one thing, AI is replacing entry-level positions at many larger companies. This may well create downstream effects for white-collar work in general as training opportunities for future leadership positions become increasingly scarce.

But those are problems for white-collar companies to solve. In the blue-collar world, there may actually be more opportunity than ever.

The trades aren’t just future-proof — they are the future

My company works with a network of dealers to sell and apply the Roof Maxx product. In 2019, we had a single dealership in Ohio. Today, we have hundreds across the United States and Canada.

As we’ve grown into one of the largest virtual home services companies in the world, I’ve seen firsthand how many young people are betting big on careers in the trades. These are people who could have made it into college but who actively chose a different path because they believed it offered them more stable and secure long-term prospects. And I believe they’re right.

Not that there aren’t some headwinds. Margins are getting tighter as prices for shingles and other materials rise. And yet, more than 75% of roofing contractors expect to see revenue growth in 2026. Incidentally, AI actually has the potential to assist them with this. For example, we’re using it to scale Roof Maxx more efficiently by streamlining training, competitive strategy and data management for our dealers.

But there’s an even more elemental reason why the trades are positioned to survive and thrive: Despite America’s recent leaps forward in digital technology, our infrastructure is aging. That means people who are spending less time living and working online are also recognizing the need to solve real-world problems.

The market for tangible products and services is growing

Data’s useful, but it’s not tangible. It can help you make buying decisions, but it doesn’t keep you warm at night. That means maintaining it is often less urgent than maintaining the buildings people live or work in. When those need attention, you can actually feel the impact.

The median age of rooftops across the United States is rising, and so is the amount of damage being caused to them by storms. That means the demand for roofing services is going up as well, which means more work for the growing number of people entering the industry. Roof-related claims across the country climbed to over $30 billion USD in 2024, and the trend continues.

It may be a perfect storm of disruption for people who work at desks and keyboards. But for people who work with hammers, nails and shingles, it’s a perfect storm of opportunity.

So if you’re planning to start a business in the next few years, you might want to consider including a hands-on product or service. It could just be your golden ticket in an increasingly uncertain world.

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I have to start this article by clarifying that I’m not against AI. In fact, I’ve written before for this site about how AI can be used to support your employees instead of becoming a threat to their jobs.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, hopefully no one will misunderstand my next point — which is that irresponsible AI use has demonstrably made the internet worse for a lot of people. From inaccuracies caused by model biases to privacy concerns, humanity is grappling with a whole new range of ethical concerns that didn’t exist before this technology.