Paradigm Shift in the Perception of Higher Education and Blue-Collar Jobs

There is a huge amount of opportunities for jobs that are left vacant while many recent graduates are scrambling to find a decent paying internship in their related field with the burden of student debt. There are nearly 3 million job openings for middle-skilled trade jobs in the U.S. with about a 4.9% unemployment rate. Blue collar jobs have dropped approximately 35% since 1980. There seems to be a stereotype that is instilled in parents, students and the media alike that a 4 year degree and a white collar job is what leads to success and happiness. People want to avoid blue collar jobs because of what they believe about the salary, the reputation, and the working conditions. But it turns out that several of the blue-collar jobs offer at least $13/hour minimum with many offering much more at well reputable companies or corporations, and excellent working conditions since most industries have automated labor technology. However, there are some issues with wages keeping up with productivity growth and wage stagnation that exacerbate the skills gap. There is even some disruption for employment with automation between both white-collar and blue-collar jobs. So whatever job someone is looking for, people need to be constantly aware of the current and future opportunities that will either fade away or rapidly grow in order to make a healthy living and have a stimulating global economy.