With college costs topping $200,000 and white-collar job security slipping, many Gen Zers are skipping four-year degrees for skilled trades. This path offers hands-on work, quicker entry into the workforce, and starting pay around $20–$25 an hour. From welding to landscaping, Gen Z is choosing practical skills over debt—and seemingly transforming the future of work in America.

Produced, Shot and Edited by: Zach Green
Senior Managing Producer: Eric M. Clark
Additional Camera: Enrique Huaiquil
Animator: Alisa Stern
Reporter: Gili Malinsky
Additional Footage: Getty Images, Morgan Bradbury, Chase Gallagher

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Why These Gen Zers Are Ditching College Degrees For Blue-Collar Careers