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This week: AI at Work, a special series from The Charlotte Ledger
The rise of artificial intelligence is poised to shake up the nature of work. In this weeklong series, The Charlotte Ledger looks closely at the trends and talks to experts to explore what’s happening, where it’s headed, what it means for the future of jobs in Charlotte — and what you can do.
◼️ MONDAY: Jobs on the line: Whose jobs are most at risk, and how does Charlotte stack up?
◼️ TUESDAY: The entry-level squeeze: Young workers face a tough job market and wonder if AI is to blame
◼️ WEDNESDAY: The backlash: As companies rush into AI, a wary public is raising doubts about trust and jobs
◼️ TODAY: Blue-collar boom: As AI threatens office jobs, more workers are turning to the trades — where demand is high and automation is low
◼️ FRIDAY: Navigating the AI era: Experts say workers who adapt early — and lean into human skills — will have the edge
Hesitancy around AI automation could boost interest in hands-on work at a time when construction workers are in high demand
A student participates in an electrical apprenticeship competition at the N.C. State Fair. The N.C. Community College System is “pumping out talent as quickly as we can” in high-demand fields like construction. (Photo courtesy of N.C. Community College System)
by Daniel Larlham Jr.
As generations of high-school graduates have overwhelmingly opted for four-year university degrees over trade school and apprenticeships, demand for trades workers has outpaced supply. With baby boomers aging out of the workforce, a real void in skill level has widened.
But with artificial intelligence threatening to automate much of the work done inside offices and on computers, interest in the trades may be rebounding — and not just from high school graduates.
Seth Alford, who works for the mechanical contractor BMWC Constructors, a nationwide firm with an office in Raleigh, described the push for graduates to attend a four-year college as a kind of “self-inflicted gunshot wound” that gave blue-collar employment a negative reputation.
With projects like data centers, pharmaceutical factories and seemingly endless population growth fueling large housing projects — which take thousands of hands to complete — Alford and those familiar with the industry say that demand for labor in the Carolinas is higher than they can keep up with.
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