More Young People Are Interested in Trades; Now How Do We Get Them Into Lighting?

For many years, unless you had a relative in the lighting business, it has been a challenge attracting new people to the lighting and retail fields since earning a college degree became the dominant path for high school graduates wanting a business career.

As a result, vocational schools began experiencing a decrease in enrollment just as skilled trades such as electricians and manufacturing (i.e. welders, metalworking) saw increased attrition rates as tradesmen reached retirement age. This decrease in the skilled labor workforce has also impacted the building industry as well as specialized retail such as lighting showrooms.

There are signs lately, however, that this trend is beginning to reverse. Sky high college tuition that leads to insurmountable student loan debt has caused more young people today to consider a faster route to success and wealth — learning a trade. This career route can be accomplished in less years and at significantly less cost than attending a four-year school, which may also make saving for a home an easier and faster process.

According to the most recent Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) released by the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center in May, high vocational public two-year schools had substantial growth in enrollment (+11.7%, +91,000) for the third consecutive year. Enrollment at these trade-focused institutions increased almost 20 percent since the spring of 2020 (871,000 students; +19.4% over 2020) and now comprises 19.4 percent of public two-year enrollment.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Estimates are published every January and May and provide final enrollment estimates for the fall and spring terms. It analyzes national enrollment estimates by credential type, institutional sector, and other characteristics (e.g., locale, program focus), enrollment intensity, student demographics (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, gender), and major field, as well as state-level enrollment estimates.

Similar encouraging findings were reported last week by a new Workforce Monitor® survey from the American Staffing Association (ASA) conducted by The Harris Poll. The survey noted that a greater percentage of U.S. adults would recommend graduating high school seniors attend a trade school than college.

The push for vocational and trade school career paths was highest among Baby Boomers (ages 61–79) at 41%, Gen X (ages 45–60) at 37%, and Millennials (ages 29–44) at 31%, compared to only 22% of Gen Z (ages 18–28). Gen Z was the only generation to recommend a four-year degree (36%) over attending a trade or vocational school (22%) according to the Workforce Monitor survey.

“The time has come to radically rethink how we’re preparing America’s future workforce,” said Richard Wahlquist, CEO at ASA. “Americans are clearly concerned that colleges and universities are failing to equip students with the workplace-relevant skills that employers need. These results underscore the importance of educators, policy makers, and parents coming together now to develop, fund, and support programs designed to prepare young people for the jobs of today and the future world of work.”

The lighting industry’s challenge & solution

The fact that lighting has become more complicated with the advancement of LED light sources, control systems, and smart features means more of a learning curve for employees at lighting showrooms versus other categories in retail. This can be a stumbling block for showrooms looking to add entry-level sales staff. The strategy of posting a Sales Help Wanted sign in the window, or through newspaper classifieds, or on a community job board will not be as effective as reaching out to local vo-tech schools, trade apprenticeship programs, and design departments at community colleges.

Some lighting showrooms that Lighting News Now has spoken with provide their own training programs (e.g. Ferguson, Lamps Plus, and Visual Comfort), while others offer free tuition for certifications earned through the American Lighting Association (ALA) or other educational programs, and some provide tuition reimbursement after the employee has remained with the showroom for two years. In short, due to the technical nature of the category, more lighting showrooms need to ramp up their efforts in encouraging graduating high school, community college, and design students to consider a career in lighting by first making them aware that this career path exists, and second, through the use of financial incentives and benefits. What has your showroom done to entice young people into your business? Let me know at linda@homenewsnow.com