# Why Gen Z is Rethinking Careers: The Rise of Skilled Trades Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-happy-hour-network-771812/why-gen-z-is-rethinking-careers-the-rise-of-skilled-trades Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-happy-hour-network-771812/why-gen-z-is-rethinking-careers-the-rise-of-skilled-trades.md Podcast: [HR Happy Hour Network](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-happy-hour-network-771812) Published: 2026-07-10T12:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/steve-boese Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/2d3bde10-3c97-4f7e-bb7d-e27cac35ec49.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hr-happy-hour-network-771812/episodes/why-gen-z-is-rethinking-careers-the-rise-of-skilled-trades Duration seconds: 1790 ## Resource Why Gen Z is Rethinking Careers: The Rise of Skilled Trades Hosts:  Jack McFarlane  and  Nicholas Schlemmer Guest: Jake Adams, Journeyman Carpenter   Summary In this episode of  The Play by Play Podcast , Jack McFarlane and Nick Schlemmer revisit the world of blue-collar work with returning guest Jake Adams, a journeyman carpenter who first joined the show at the beginning of his career journey. The conversation explores why Gen Z is rethinking traditional career paths, the growing interest in skilled trades, and how technology and AI are impacting hands-on work. Jake shares his experience moving from apprentice to journeyman, what he has learned along the way, and how mentorship, work ethic, and new opportunities are shaping the future of blue-collar careers.   Takeaways Why skilled trades are becoming a more attractive career option for younger generations How AI and technology are influencing construction and trade industries The value of apprenticeships, hands-on learning, and career exploration How mentorship and reverse mentorship are changing workplace dynamics Why career growth does not always follow a traditional four-year college path   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!    The HR Happy Hour Network is sponsored by Workhuman. We talk a lot on this show about where HR is headed — and one of the most exciting developments I’ve seen lately is what Workhuman is doing with Future Leaders. Future Leaders is the first talent intelligence tool of its kind, helping companies identify high-potential VP+ talent already inside their organization — up to 4 years before they step into the role. And it’s not based on gut instinct or visibility. Using real-time recognit… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hr-happy-hour-network-771812/episodes/why-gen-z-is-rethinking-careers-the-rise-of-skilled-trades/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/hr-happy-hour-network-771812/why-gen-z-is-rethinking-careers-the-rise-of-skilled-trades.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.