In recent decades, the message for millions of young people was the same: studying a university degree was the best way to ensure a good job future. The rise of artificial intelligence is beginning to call that promise into question. In the United States, enrollment in technical training is increasing, and in France there are university professionals who leave their offices to work with their hands. There’s a reason summed up well by a Los Angeles plumbing student: AI can do a lot, but it still can’t get under the house to install pipes.
Generation of tool belts. The Wall Street Journal explained that in the US it already has a name: the Toolbelt Generation. They are young people who are committed to learning plumbing, electricity, carpentry or mechanics as an alternative to university. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment in construction and mechanics-related programs increased by 30% between 2022 and 2024, reaching record numbers.
In fact, at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), virtually all two-year technical programs have long waiting lists. The application combines affordable training, job opportunities and low exposure to AI automation.
AI doesn’t know how to install pipes. Victor Velasco, 26, told Le Monde newspaper that he was studying plumbing in Los Angeles as he sought professional stability. She meets a university graduate in the humanities who can’t find a job related to her studies and ends up working at Chipotle. On the other hand, he has learned an in-demand trade and wants to start his own company.
Nearby, Brandon, 26, builds wooden structures after quitting geology because of his uncertain job prospects. Both have discovered an advantage that is difficult to replicate with artificial intelligence: repairing facilities, manipulating components, and solving physical problems in real environments require skills that are still difficult to automate.
In France they are leaving office. The French case presents an interesting contrast: many young people enter the trade after studying for a degree and working for years in front of a computer. Apolline Judd, 24, left law and communications behind to become a pastry chef near Paris.
During an internship at a law firm, he was asked to write articles using ChatGPT, an experience that steered him away from that profession. Now he earns about 1,689 euros net per month for 39 hours a week, less than he expected to earn as a lawyer. In return, he claims he regained the satisfaction of creating something tangible and enjoying his work.
When AI starts to carve out a career in finance. Hermine, 33, explained to French media that she left graphic design and communications to train as a mosaicist after seeing how algorithms were transforming her sector. Ayana, 34, spent a decade in e-commerce and went on to run an AI unit that employs five women before setting up a craft workshop in Madagascar.
Jonas, 29, left a company where artificial intelligence wrote briefs, prepared presentations and accelerated a workload that reached 180% of the day. Now he is a teacher and earns 1,800 net euros per month compared to around 3,000. No doubt, the three represent a reaction that goes beyond the fear of unemployment, in reality they are young people who want to recover the meaning of what they do.
The university is losing part of its appeal. In the United States, first-year college enrollment is projected to decline slightly in 2025, when the most expensive private institutions may cost about $40,000 annually. Add to this the fact that around 35% of students drop out before they graduate, according to statistics cited in the Le Monde report.
Although a university degree provides economic benefits throughout one’s career, the investment is less attractive to those who fear going into debt without finding suitable employment later. At LATTC, carpenters can start earning around $45,000 annually. Their teachers notice a generational change, since whereas previously workers in their thirties or forties were preferred for retraining, many now come directly from institutes.
Even big tech companies need manual workers. On TikTok and Instagram, the TradesVsCollege hashtag aggregates videos of young people showing how much they earn as electricians, plumbers or carpenters and comparing their earnings to the cost of college. This job demand has entered the American political debate, especially among critical conservative sectors of the university.
There’s an additional paradox, if you will: In June 2026, Meta announced a $115 million investment to build America’s Workforce Academy, which aims to train specialized workers to build data centers. It appears that the expansion of artificial intelligence will require electricians, technicians and construction professionals capable of building and maintaining their infrastructure.
A change in mindset. A LinkedIn and CensusWide survey published in December 2025 found that about 63% of 18- to 28-year-olds prefer a hands-on career to an office job, compared to 52% of all respondents.
Furthermore, 65% feel that technical and manual tasks pay more personally, while over 67% disapprove of spending their careers in front of a screen answering emails. French sociologist Anne Jardin warns that these revivals are still in the minority. AI is accelerating a discontent that already existed between the expectations of young people and the reality of many jobs.
The future may turn out to be where it was least expected. Manual trades also have drawbacks: physical effort, possible injuries, demanding schedules, and working conditions that are not always attractive. Furthermore, they are not immune to automation, nor are all university occupations equally threatened. Nevertheless, France and the United States show how a professional hierarchy built up over decades is beginning to change.
Many families associate progress with abandoning physical work and entering the office. Now, as machines learn to write, program, and create images, some young people are discovering that one of the most valuable skills of the future may be something as old as knowing how to repair a house, a piece of furniture, or a pipe.
Picture | PXHere, PXHere, stock photos
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