A growing number of young Americans are rethinking the traditional college-to-office career track and turning to hands-on trades, as fears mount that artificial intelligence could reshape — or eliminate — many white-collar jobs, the New York Post reports.

Nearly six in 10 Americans under 30, 59%, see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a Harvard Kennedy School survey, underscoring how quickly attitudes toward work are shifting.

That anxiety is translating into real-world decisions.

Across the country, students are changing majors, skipping four-year degrees, or leaving college for skilled trades seen as harder to automate — and increasingly, more financially attractive.

Research from Stanford shows employment among workers ages 22 to 25 in AI-exposed roles has fallen 16% compared with less-exposed jobs, raising concerns about the stability of entry-level office work.

At the same time, vocational pathways are gaining momentum.

Enrollment in trade-focused community college programs has jumped nearly 20% since 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

For many young workers, the appeal is both job security and solid pay.

Electricians typically earn about $60,000 to $75,000 annually, with experienced workers making over $90,000.

Construction managers can earn well into six figures, while firefighters average roughly $55,000 to $80,000.

Plumbers and HVAC technicians often earn between $55,000 and $85,000, with higher upside through specialization or self-employment.

Jackson Curtis, a 28-year-old insurance underwriting assistant in Washington state, is among those making the shift and is now pursuing firefighting.

“Even if they can come up with a way to utilize AI to fight fires, people are always going to want that empathy from an actual human who actually cares during a moment of crisis,” Curtis said.

Others are pivoting even earlier. Ryder Perry, 22, left a computer science program to train as an electrician after watching rapid advances in AI tools.

“At first I was in denial,” he said. “But eventually I had to just face it.”

Peter Murphy, CEO of exam-prep company Pocket Prep, said the trend reflects growing unease about traditional career paths.

“That’s going to create a lot of anxiety for people because not everyone’s going to get to participate in some of these transformations,” Murphy said.

He added that a college degree alone is no longer enough to stand out.

“When you have college graduates coming out with debt, but they’re all kind of ubiquitous in the sense that they all have the same credential — what’s going to elevate them above that?” Murphy said.

As a result, more young workers are turning toward certifications and hands-on training — not as a fallback, but as a first choice.

With AI advancing rapidly, the shift toward skilled trades may continue reshaping career paths for the next generation.