I have deep experience in creating aviation/aerospace education ecosystems, connecting industry and government workforce development officials to public and nonprofit K-Career STEM education programs.
So, I know we have a lot of influencers in #aviation like Erika Armstrong Shaesta Waiz talking about becoming a #pilot. But what about the rest of the #careers. This article shows how young people are ellevating #bluecollar careers using #socialmedia and teaching young women about careers in male-dominating fields. It's not surprising videos like this are popular given the popularity of Dirty Jobs and This Old House. #aviation and #aerospace are always complaining how tough it is to interest youngsters in our careers. I'm sure they have videos talking about pilots and #aviationmaintenancetechnicians. But what about #flightdispatch #airtrafficcontrol, #manufacturing? I get that manufacturing may be tough owing to #security but we see #plumbing #welding #electricians in this article -- all of which are needed in our industry. "On TikTok, the hashtag #bluecollar drew 500k posts in the first four months of this year, up 64% over the same period in 2023. Posts hashtagged #electrician increased 77% over the same time, with #constructionworker and #mechanic posting similar jumps, TikTok says. "Many posts tout the wages blue-collar workers can make. Pay for new hires in construction now outstrips pay for new hires in professional services like accounting, according to ADP data. Skilled-trade influencers say they’re also trying to combat decades of stereotypes in which practitioners were seen as grease monkeys or stuck in low-end careers. “We’ve made it more appealing. We have nice vehicles. We own homes, we are successful,” says Matt Panella, 27, a carpenter who drives a Tesla “Kids aren’t going to job sites saying, hey, man, can you hire me? They’re getting to know it on social media, giving them the idea that this is a legit possibility,” says the elder Coffman. https://lnkd.in/eStPASCC
Erika Armstrong
6mo
Yes! More of this! It sometimes takes a generation or two to change perspectives, but we are in dire need of people with trade skills. I would think the younger generation would like to be drawn away from being chained to a desk too!
Powered Lift and Uncrewed Aviation Operations, Safety, Training, and Compliance | Workforce Readiness and Strategy
6moKathryn, thank you so much for helping get the word out! We need to get more young people into CTE programs which are based on academic and technical skill standards to ensure student preparation for both college and careers. They offer work-based learning opportunities (e.g., internships, apprenticeships, clinical experience or industry mentored projects). Students also have the option to earn college credit and/or industry-recognized credentials such as certifications and licenses and go right into industry. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics is one of the 16 CTE career clusters and a great way to get folks into aviation!