When Chase Gallagher was 12 years old, he started mowing his neighborhood's lawns for $35 each. At first, he had only two customers, but after actively distributing flyers with the help of his mother, the following year he had 10 customers a week.
He is now 23 years old and is one of the growing number of Gen Zers who are refusing to attend college. But unlike some perceptions of the baby boomer generation, they don't just hang out around their parents' homes and avoid work altogether. In fact, Gallagher and many others are picking up the tools and turning to traditional trading.
“I didn't see an ROI in going to college,” Gallagher said. luck. Instead, he focused his efforts on expanding his side hustle into a successful full-time business called CMG Landscaping. But he says it “took a lot of courage” to tell his family about his decision.
“Ever since I was 6 years old, my parents instilled in me, 'Hey, you're going to college,'” Gallagher recalls of how it seemed like his future was planned out. “It sounded great until I realized I had to pay for it.”
Even for students who choose to attend college, their choices are different. Enrollment at vocational community colleges increased 16% last year, the highest level since 2018, when the National Student Clearinghouse began tracking this data.
Additionally, the same data shows a 23% year-over-year increase in construction trades students in 2023, and a 7% increase in HVAC and vehicle maintenance and repair programs.
They are still expected to go to college, but Gen Z doesn't want to let those expectations down.
As adults, most Gen Z luck Those we spoke with admitted that they originally planned to go to university. I went to college not because I wanted to, but because it seemed like the right thing to do.
Emily Shaw, a 20-year-old apprentice working for British construction company Redrow, said: “I think people my age are still expected to go to university. I feel like I'm moving on to the next step.” luck.
All the men in Shaw's family have worked in the construction industry since the 19th century. She is now the first woman in her family to follow suit and aims to become a quality surveyor.
“There's still a stereotype that getting a college degree guarantees you a well-paying job, but I quickly realized that wasn't the case,” she added.
Similarly, 20-year-old Luke Phillips was already enrolled in university when he decided it wasn't for him.
“I didn’t really think about it,” he said. luck. “Ever since I was little, I felt like I was aiming for college and university while I was in school.”
Phillips was strongly encouraged to apply for university in his final year at school, which would be a good thing if a high proportion of students go on to higher education, but later recalled being overwhelmed by the excitement he felt when he was accepted. remember.
“I was only 18 years old, had no world experience and didn't really understand what other options were available,” he says, adding that going to university was “a situation more frightening than being unemployed.” It wasn't,” he added.
That's what he did, but quickly changed his mind after three months.
Now, Phillips has begun learning how to make jewelry at Dartmouth's Remarkable Goldsmiths, and feels she should “pay for the privilege.”
“I now have a much better understanding of how a business operates and what it’s really like to attend a workshop,” he added. “It's not what tutors think it is or what it was 10 years ago.”
Gen Z doesn't want to go into debt
Earning a degree has long been touted as a “must have” for a lucrative career. But today, Gen Z is acutely aware that the only security that comes with a degree is debt.
“It's simple math to understand why young people choose the trades over college,” said Gallagher, who lives in a Philadelphia suburb. “Let’s say you pay $50,000 a year for college.
“Multiply this by 4 and your investment is $200,000. Plus, you'll be missing out on four income-generating years by going to college, so you'll be spending money instead of just making money. ”
With tuition at some universities reaching up to $95,000 this year, young people are getting a head start on their careers by choosing a career, trying to build wealth and buy a home before their peers graduate. Mr. Gallagher believes that it is better to
“Gen Z is probably the most educated generation in history,” says Tova Vyghusdóttir, psychologist and CEO of Kara Connect, an employee mental health and well-being platform. luck. “They are also more worried about their finances than previous generations because they have experienced several financial crises on their way to work.”
Thanks to TikTok, countless college-educated millennials can be caught complaining that their salaries aren't enough to move them out of their childhood bedrooms, but Vig. Husdóttir added that Gen Z knows that many cannot afford to buy their own homes. Even with a degree.
Social media has not only opened Gen Z's eyes to the shortcomings experienced by new graduates, but it has also significantly improved the image of trade-related jobs.
“There was definitely a taboo against people participating in the trade,” Phillips said, before quickly adding that those preconceptions are long gone.
Instead, young people these days tend to “envy” those who get their hands dirty, he says, and see it as a path to both a solid income and the freedom to be their own boss. points out.
Additionally, they are making banks
By the age of 16, Gallagher had already earned more than $50,000 from his side job mowing lawns, but he branched out into general landscaping and hired “Buddy Mike” to help him after school and on weekends.
“I did more project-based work: spring cleaning, mulching, leaf cleaning,” he says. “He had well over 35 clients who mowed their lawns every week.”
Gallagher's landscaping business now has nine employees, does “everything from stormwater management and drainage to paving and lighting,” and generated more than $1 million in revenue last year.
Still, some people try to persuade them to go to university. Because that's what “successful people” do. “That's not true,” he added flatly. “Here in America, he can still earn 1% and be the owner of a trading business.”
Although Gallagher earns significantly more than most Gen Zers, luck Research shows that the average trade worker can land a higher-paying job than a recent graduate.
Median salaries for professional services entry-level employees are just shy of the $40,000 mark, according to data from payroll provider ADP. Meanwhile, the average take-home pay for new starters in the construction industry can be expected to exceed $48,000.
Despite being historically male-dominated, Shaw argues that women can also enjoy a rewarding career in the trading industry.
Research by Redrow found that 39% of young women working in the construction industry are attracted to the high pay, while a quarter are attracted to the possibility of becoming their own business owners. Ta.
“Construction is about more than just laying bricks. There are many opportunities for women to succeed, achieve and make a difference in their communities,” she added. “In fact, the majority of the office I work in is made up of women.
“School-age girls need to understand that careers in construction are possible.”