The demand across America for over 500,000 electricians and thousands more tradespeople has the potential to transform America’s underserved neighborhoods. The article highlights the crime of post-60s liberalism, which has created permanent Black underclasses all over America, including on the South Side of Chicago where the author lives. The schools here are poor, and opportunities have been replaced by government handouts, with violence robbing too many families of their loved ones. However, the author believes there is much untapped potential in these underclasses.
The author reflects on this as they listen to Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs” discussing the need for hundreds of thousands of tradesmen and women at the Pennsylvania Energy & Innovation Summit. Rowe pointed out that while AI has decimated many coding jobs, it has not touched the work of manual laborers such as welders, plumbers, and electricians. This has led the author to believe that trades offer a viable path for opportunity, especially for those in underserved communities.
The author criticizes the nation’s overemphasis on college degrees in recent decades, arguing that this has been disastrous, particularly for those from underserved areas who may look down on the prospect of working with their hands. The author contends that such work is honest and should not be looked down upon. Rowe’s statement that there is a need for 500,000 electricians in the next couple of years is highlighted, and the author shares how their non-profit has provided training in this field to many individuals, including a Chicago Police officer who transitioned to a full-time career in the electrician field.
The article also mentions the need for over 80,000 collision repair technicians and over 140,000 tradespeople to assist in the construction of nuclear-powered submarines for the Navy. In the energy field, the demand is expected to reach 300,000 to 500,000 people. The author argues that AI cannot do any of this work, but that there are individuals in underserved communities who can. The author believes that with proper training, these individuals can be put to work, improving their lives and transforming their communities.
The author concludes by calling for a reversal of the decline of post-60s liberalism by providing direct pathways to opportunity for those in poverty and underprivileged neighborhoods. The article also calls for a shift in focus toward the trades as a way to improve lives and foster economic growth. The author warns that if the nation does not take action, the current crisis will continue to worsen. The Golden Age for many Americans, according to the author, lies in the pursuit of a livelihood in the trades.