US skilled trades see applicant surge as workers weigh wages and AI

Demand for electricians, plumbers and other skilled trades is climbing across the United States, with training programmes reporting a surge in applicants as workers weigh rising pay against the possible impact of artificial intelligence on their futures.

At the Cypress Mandela Training Center in Oakland, California, roughly 40 pre-apprentices are enrolled in a free 16-week course that covers carpentry, plumbing, electricity and concrete work. For many, securing a place is a rare opening in a highly competitive field.

Jordyn Allen, a pre-apprentice, described the crush of interest at orientation, saying the sign-up list stretched far down the page and she doubted she would be admitted. "But when I got in, I was pumped up," she said.

Fellow pre-apprentice Terrell Kennedy attributed the growing interest to demand and an ageing workforce. "I feel like electricians, plumbers, it's all increasing throughout the years because there is more of a demand. There're a lot of people retiring," he said.

Much of the enthusiasm stems from the prospect of steadily rising construction wages. Charles Simmons, Jr., executive director of the Cypress Mandela Training Center, said six-figure salaries are within reach in the sector, and that students in its Power Pathway Program move into such earnings soon after completing pre-apprenticeship.

At the Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee programme in Alameda County, Isabella Neumann is training as an electrician apprentice after working as a nanny and studying religion in college. She said the push toward college when she was in high school, combined with the cost, steered her away from the trades earlier. "But had they been, I might have joined sooner," she said.

Other California training programmes are reporting similar levels of interest, with demand far outstripping the number of places available. Jason Bates, training director at the Alameda County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, said its acceptance rate stands at about two and a half to three percent. He added that all 20 electrical apprenticeship programmes in the state are seeing a sharp rise in demand and applications.

For those already in the field, the boom offers steady work and the means to support themselves, their families and their communities. While some workers are uncertain how AI will reshape the industry, many argue that human interaction and community ties remain irreplaceable.

Christian Venegas, an electrician apprentice, said the work matters because it supports one's life, family and the surrounding community, and predicted a limit to how far automation can go. Nataliya Petukhova, a pre-apprentice, said AI robots are still far from replacing such jobs, describing the trades as community-building work and adding that people are unlikely to want everything automated.