LETTER

FROM MATT WEBER

there’s more demand for trustworthy builders than there is for magazine editors.

These days, white-collar workers are also facing the specter of Artificial Intelligence. Time will tell how many jobs will be eliminated when AI begins automating jobs once done by humans. This technology is already present in AI models that are available for public use like ChatGPT, Google’s Bard AI and DALL-E, which generates images. And if AI is generating images, as in artwork, how does that portend for the future artists of the world (which is my oldest son’s area of interest).

On the other hand, AI and burgeoning technology poses less of a threat to the careers of electricians, welders, plumbers, carpenters, and the many other trades that have built the world around us. These career paths retain a bright future and require far less financial burden to gain valuable work experience.

To be clear, a four-year degree is still valuable. The Association of

Public and Land-Grant Universities estimates that those who hold a bachelor’s degree have 84 percent higher earning potential, or $36,000 more, than those with solely a high school degree. The key word there is “potential,” because there’s no guarantee of job placement if your field of study has little demand for it.

What is in high demand?

Construction workers. From April to May, job openings increased in the construction industry, along with the trade, transportation, and utilities sectors, even while the overall number of job openings declined, according to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That’s why I encourage my son, the future artist, to learn how to use a hammer and screwdriver alongside his special charcoal

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MATT WEBER matt@HIRpub.com

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CARTER SWIFT TOM MATTHEWS

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