In this digital age the skilled trades industry will define its success by maximizing its ability to adapt collaborate and invest in continuous learning, this also brings up the question, should the professionals and especialists in the skilled service trades embrace and go deep into digitization?
We acknolwledge this sector and its professional workers to be critical contributors to the economy of any given country, bring financial stability and essential services in daily life from plumbers and electricians to construction workers and security technicians they all deliver and provide crucial shores for the functioning of entire industries, therefore we should by all means possible, equip the skilled trades sector with proper tangible real innovations in order to strenghten both industry and businesses.
The answer to the above question is yes, nowadays we believe equipping these professional service providers with valuable technology is mandatory as we believe there are considerable advantages for it, however everything worth persuing is uphill meaning that this quest will not precisely be a walk in the park and as we mentioned in past posts handling successfully the so called “the next gen” issue represents a big enough challenge by itself.
Historically the trades especialists and its operations were highly manual, meaning that not long ago workers would use manual processes for collecting and recording information about tasks in order to hand this data to the boss in charge by hand, hence these inefficiencies back then would be costly both in money and time which would lower productivity.
The sector is on the brink of a digital revolution and this is precisely one of main purposes for professional service vendors and SMEs digitization, however and despite lately digital enhancements the challenges persists for widespread of digital tools adoption such as cutting spending on new tools adoption as well as the constant growing of customers demands and the shortage of skilled collaborators, therefore by embracing innovations and fostering ongoing learning professional service vendors can better navigate this new era of business with confidence giving birth to the repairs and maintenance 4.0 as well as ensuring quality throughout the entire sector,
While technology plays a crucial role in pushing forwards the skilled trades sector, the human element remains essential in preserving craftsmanship and attention to details, meaning professional vendors must balance between leveraging the power of innovation and harnessing their skills to deliver quality works, this is highly important if we add AI to the mix which is undoubtly a true revolution that impacts the future of skilled trades works enabling and enhancing productivity and better customer relationships ultimately.
We believe that successful digital solutions for the professional trades SMEs and business owners should include,
- Increasing the pace of business avoiding longer waiting times
- Delivering customized offers to clientele
- Reducing costs involved for professionals service vendors as they become more price sensitive
In the other hand and as the skilled trades sector continues to evolve in response to technology, some workfore related trends are taking place showing that this once rough and manual blue collar job market is being now embraced by the younger and newer generations, the millenials and especially Gen Z, who think that the professional service vendor sector is not actually that bad as a career path after all.
Really interesting times right now within the repairs and maintenance industry as we watch boomers and older generations getting retired from their jobs and positions within companies, and also we are now witnessing how , the movers and shakers, or the newer generations Millenials and Genz are taking over positions or, why not?, building up their own businesses,
The new generations take good pride for the skilled trades and the job they represent as these tasks empowers them with a sense of independence and passion which is both very fulfilling and contributing to positive change.
Major factors influencing them versus persuing a university traditional degrees,
- Money and financials matters
- Costs involved in university degrees vs the effectiveness of the traditional blue collar job market
- Earning potential as a professinal service supplier vs the loss of value for University degrees although degrees still are regarded as a good source for potential great wages
- Work-life balance job security and availability matter a lot too
Please note that we are not advocating, whatsoever, for the new generations to stop attending or quitting on their pursue of obtaining a four years bachelor’s degree, nor higher education is a complete waste of time, as a matter of fact this type of education will always be very important across the world since highly intelligent and skilled professionals are shaped and educated at these institutions and who go onto providing essential services to the world such as doctors and judges all the way to engineers of all kind.
On the contrary we provide data and insights concerning major issues the repairs and maintenance industry is facing such as the Next Gen, in an attempt to draw more eyeballs into these matters that we believe are relevant enough for everyone to know about,
Most of the facts here displayed regarding the newer generations and their behaviours towards the professional service trades are sourced from US information sites in order to put together this piece of content, therefore this does not necesarily reflect the needs and wants of similar population across different terrioties however we know what might happen when the US catches a cold.
What is really important is that we are having a retiring generation loaded with knowledge and tons of business experience within the field running their own companies and occupiying postions in third party companies, on the other hand we have a newer generation wanting to get a piece of that action and who happen to be also loaded with eagerness and creativity, somehow people in power now will have to decode the expectations from the upcoming generations in the workplaces in order to better secure the ongoing future of the industry.
In the EU for instances the newer generations will make up to 40% of the full time workforce by 2030 and if businesses and company owners aim at recruiting new collaborators into the professional service trades sector, companies will need to figure out their needs and wants,
The industry and professional service vendors along with SMEs and business owners have now a mission ahead in order to attract and retain new collaborators, companies need to connect and be innovative on how the especialist and professonal service jobs sector is presented as well as the career progression choices, hence by having all this ready might just be a great way to get rid of issues that could otherwise jeopardize recruiting opportunitites into this exciting and rewarding industry and all that has to offer,
Find here below insights the younger ones expect from you as a business owner,
1. Caring for their wellbeing
Bonus such as paid time off, mission driven company, positive workplace culture and team-building opportunities, your company can look the part if it delivers on these.
2. Career growth
Mentorship in jobs as well as professional development in order to build versatile collaborators. Job apprentorships help improving skills in order to continuously grow in their area of expertise.
3. Flexible hours and reasonable wage
This summarizes the above points and it is a must have for any company that wants to secure new hires, Jobs in the blue collar markets can be a great solution by providing flexible work shifts matching peoples lifestyle as well as the opportunity to improve and earn a steady income
As with many industries digitization and automations continue to reshape the traditional job landscapes and the skilled trades community is no different. In our eyes these highly skilfull pros are geniuses and they must adapt to these technological advancements and tools which supports them optimizing their productivity as well as enhancing their businesses workflows management of data processing payments and allowing them to build a more consistent customer relationships amongst others.
The future of skilled trades in a digital world is brimming with possibilities for innovation and sustainability enhancements, the younger ones together with technology allows the industry to go beyond the tasks increasing growth potential at scale and driving business success.
