Gen-Z is shunning college to take up traditional trades like welding and plumbing they say is far more satisfying and which doesn't incur huge student debt

Increasing numbers of Generation Z are opting out of college and turning to vocational schools with hopes of higher wages and avoiding student debt, data shows.

Young people who came of age during the pandemic said they have been deterred from four-year universities by high tuition and the prospect of student debt.

Instead, they are attending trade schools and are being enticed by well-paying job opportunities and satisfying work.

The National Student Clearing House recorded a 16 percent increase in enrollment at two-year schools with a 'high vocational program focus' and a 2.6 percent rise in community college enrollment in 2023, reported Bloomberg. 

'It's a really smart route for kids who want to find something and aren't gung ho on going to college,' wielding program graduate Tanner Burgess, 20, told The Wall Street Journal.

'It feels good at the end of the day, I'm physically doing something and there's a sense of completion.'

There was a 23 percent increase in students studying construction trades in 2023 compared to the year before, and a seven percent increase in HVAC and vehicle maintenance and repair programs.

Largely left on their own amid remote learning, many felt they weren't learning enough, and the idea of four more years of school - or even two - held little appeal. 

At the same time, the nation's student debt has soared. Over 43 million Americans owe a collective $1.3 trillion in student loan debt, with the average borrower owing $37,000, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Americans have lost confidence in the value of a college degree over the years, with many suggesting they are unsure that the cost of an education is worth it.

A Gallup poll published in July 2023 found that the share of Americans who trusted higher education fell from 57 percent in 2015 to 36 percent.

Gen-Zers are looking to the trades to make money, with many posting online about the large salaries they make in fields like welding and plumbing.

On TikTok, one young electrical lineman said he makes $200,000 a year and owns multiple homes.

'We're doing 60 plus hours a week, 16 hours a day. With that comes doubletime, overtime, added benefits into your retirement, union benefits. We stay busy year round,' he said.

'I own a few investment properties, a nice truck. I focus on investment properties and earning more money with the money I make here.'

According to data from payroll-services provider ADP, the median pay for new construction hires was $48,089 last year, compared to $39,520 for professional services new hires.

Software company Jobber surveyed 1,000 high school and college-age students in July 2023 and found that 56 percent of respondents believe that 'blue-collar' jobs have more job security than 'white-collar' desk jobs when it comes to AI.

Business opportunities were also important to survey respondents, and nearly two-thirds said they want to start their own business at some point in their lives.

Alezet Valerio, 18, who started at a construction site right after graduating high school, told The Wall Street Journal she loves her job and finds it rewarding to building something.

'It's not at all what I was expecting. I'm building skyscrapers and building a career out of it,' she said.

Colby Dell, 19, is attending trade school for automotive repair and hopes to open his own mobile detailing company.

'I always thought it was a hobby. Looking into these vocational schools, I realized it was a dream I could really pursue,' he said.