2030s Choose Plumbing and Tiling Over Office Jobs Pushed Aside by AI
Young people in their 20s and 30s are increasingly turning to skilled manual labor as AI threatens white-collar professions.
The counterattack of blue-collar workers... 2030s falling for skilled labor
AI threatening white-collar workers... The value of skilled labor rediscovered by the 2030s
Youth captivated by 'irreplaceable skills'... Will the golden age of blue-collar workers arrive?
In SBS 'News Story', we meet young people striving to acquire 'irreplaceable manual skills' to hear their voices and examine whether our society is ready to recognize the value of skilled labor.
The 2030s creating the future with 'manual skills'
Jo U-ui (28) works at the Icheon plant of a domestic memory semiconductor company, which is considered a dream workplace these days. After entering a Meister high school to learn technical skills, Jo U-ui won the National Skills Competition and joined a large heavy industry company in Ulsan. Subsequently, participating as a national representative in the WorldSkills Competition, Jo U-ui won a gold medal in the plumbing category and joined the current workplace, establishing a position in the field earlier than peers. Having visited the alma mater every year even after graduation to help juniors with their practical training, Jo U-ui said that the perspective of young people toward technical jobs is changing recently. It is not simply a choice made because finding employment is difficult, but rather viewing it as a job where one can build their own skills and gain expertise.
An era where AI threatens white-collar workers... The counterattack of blue-collar workers?
Bang Yun-jae (24), who majored in physical education at university and dreamed of becoming a teacher, has been learning field work as the youngest member of a woodworking team for one year. Having joined the woodworking team after overcoming a 300-to-1 competition rate, Bang Yun-jae said they chose woodworking to survive with their own skills that are not easily replaced. Lee Hak-hyeon (32), who was a singer-songwriter, also switched careers to become a tiler after seeing AI naturally performing not only composition but also singing. Lee judged that tiling work, which requires precision in millimeter units, is an irreplaceable skill that only humans can perform.
AI and robots are rapidly replacing human work. According to a Bank of Korea report, 94% of the youth jobs that disappeared in the last four years occurred in industries with high AI exposure. As office and professional jobs, which youth previously preferred as stable workplaces, find it difficult to avoid the influence of AI, the criteria for a good job are also changing.
The value of skilled labor... To lead the golden age of blue-collar workers
As the perspective of young people toward technical jobs changes, is our society properly supporting their choice? Noh Hye-yeon, a former airline flight attendant working as a tile grouter in Australia, says that even if she wears fluorescent work clothes, which she would have had to be conscious of others' gazes about in Korea, no one in Australia cares. Rather, she says women working in technical jobs are highly valued in society. She also mentioned that the salary is satisfying, enough to earn a month's service industry salary in Korea in a single week.
Experts say that to properly nurture blue-collar jobs, not just production jobs in large corporations or a few jobs with high allowances, we must re-examine wage levels, working conditions, and safety.
SBS 'News Story' broadcasts on Saturday the 19th at 8:00 AM.
Copyright © SBS & SBSi. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use for AI training is prohibited.
◆ At a Glance
· Publishing Institution: SBS
· Category: News Story
· Distribution: September 18, 16:20
Source: SBS Press Release
Special Times is striving to deliver faster and more diverse news to readers with the help of AI technology.
Comments 0