Artificial intelligence is changing how people think about work. For many, that path is leading to a renewed interest in the skilled trades.

But bringing more people into the trades will not solve the workforce challenges facing the industry on its own. In a recent episode of Commercial Grade, Rich Camacho, CEO and co-founder of BlueRecruit, argued that employers need to focus just as much on developing talent as they do on finding it.

“We’re not in a labor shortage in terms of numbers. We’re in an experience and training shortage.”— Rich Camacho

The people are interested. The experience is missing.

Camacho said BlueRecruit is seeing more Gen Z workers and career changers consider the trades than in the past. At the same time, many of those workers are not being hired at the rate they expected.

The problem is that employers are often searching for experienced journeymen who are difficult to find, while overlooking people who are ready to learn. That leaves companies competing for talent that may not exist, and leaves motivated new workers waiting for a first opportunity.

Camacho pointed to solar installation as one example of the gap between interest and preparation: more than 40% of new hires leave within their first week, often because they did not understand the physical demands of the work before accepting the job.

The answer is not to discourage people from entering the trades. It is to help them make informed choices through job shadowing, personality assessments, realistic job previews, and stronger training programs.

“Don’t just choose the trades ’cause you heard there’s a bunch of jobs out there," says Camacho,"Take a personality assessment, do some job shadowing, really get informed.”

Recruiting needs to look more human

Camacho also challenged employers to rethink how they attract the next generation of workers. Gen Z is less likely to begin its research on a company website and more likely to look at platforms such as TikTok or Instagram.

“Gen Z-ers are not going to a corporate website to make their initial determination on a company for who they should work for. They’re going to that TikTok account," says Camacho.

That does not mean companies need expensive, highly polished campaigns. In fact, Camacho warned against replacing real photos and stories with artificial images that hide the workplace. Candidates want to see the people, the equipment, and the conditions they may encounter on the job.

For contractors, that could mean showing a day in the field, introducing apprentices, explaining a difficult repair, or letting employees share what they have learned. The goal is not to make the work look glamorous. It is to make the opportunity feel real.

Training is the competitive advantage

The companies that build effective training programs will be better positioned to turn new workers into productive technicians. That requires more involvement with trade schools and community colleges, including stronger relationships with instructors and opportunities for students to visit real job sites.

Technology can help fill the experience gap, too. AI-powered tools can give technicians faster access to information, support virtual training, and reduce the administrative work that takes time away from learning. But Camacho emphasized that people still need to think through problems themselves before using AI to fill in the gaps.

That balance, human judgment supported by technology, may be one of the most important skills in the future trades workforce.

“I always like to take just a couple minutes to jot down some ideas... And then I use AI to help fill in the gaps," says Camacho.

Employers that make training part of the operating model, rather than treating it as an extra task, will have a clearer path to building the experienced teams their projects require.

The next wave of workers is already showing interest. The companies willing to teach them will be the ones best prepared for what comes next.

“The companies that excel in training are going to absolutely dominate the industry in five years. The companies that aren’t training aren’t gonna exist in five years.” — Rich Camacho

Get the full episode

Listen to the full conversation with Rich Camacho on Commercial Grade, BuildOps’ podcast about the people, ideas, and operational challenges shaping the commercial trades. Get the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Youtube.