Are we overlooking jobs AI can’t replace?

When the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, recently suggested that the next generation of millionaires might not come from Silicon Valley but from skilled trades — plumbers, electricians and carpenters — it sounded like heresy in an age obsessed with AI, coding and tech startups. 

However, if one looks closely, his prediction is not far-fetched. In fact, it might already be unfolding.

For years, society has told a single story of success: go to college, work at a desk, and thrive in the digital economy. Meanwhile, vocational skills — once the backbone of every modern economy — were dismissed as 'blue-collar' and unglamorous. But the tide is turning.

Demand for skilled tradespeople has risen sharply across the developed world, while supply has dwindled. The same pattern is quietly emerging in developing countries, including Bangladesh, where sectors such as construction, energy and maintenance are expanding faster than the labour force that sustains them.

In the US, a recent McKinsey & Company report highlights an acute shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The study shows that wages in these trades have risen by more than 20% since early 2020, driven by persistent labor scarcity and an aging workforce. Similar trends are emerging in the United Kingdom.

Companies are struggling to find enough skilled workers, causing wages in construction and other specialist trades to rise at the fastest pace in decades. The reality is stark: while demand for skilled trades continues to grow, local vocational training and enrollment remain weak. The result is a widening gap between market demand and available expertise — a recipe for rising incomes among those who possess these skills.

Artificial intelligence can design software, write essays, and even mimic human conversation but it cannot crawl under someone's sink or rewire a building. The physical, contextual and improvisational nature of trade work makes it uniquely resistant to automation. 

Today, thousands of office workers worry about AI replacing their jobs, while skilled tradespeople are becoming irreplaceable assets. Their work requires judgment, adaptability, and expertise — human skills that machines still struggle to replicate. The people who can fix what others cannot, who can literally keep the lights on, will hold real power. 

ILO notes that many TVET programmes in Bangladesh are still not sufficiently aligned with labour-market demand or the National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework. According to BBS, only 3.65% of the country's labour force has received any form of technical or vocational training. Meanwhile, industries continue to face an average 30%–40% shortage of skilled workers across key sectors such as manufacturing, ICT and leather.

What about Bangladesh? The country is urbanising rapidly. Construction is booming, digital infrastructure is expanding, and soon AI-driven data centers will demand a workforce of trained technicians, electricians, and maintenance experts. 

At the same time, thousands of young Bangladeshis are seeking employment abroad — many in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where technical and vocational skills are increasingly prized. These same trades are in high demand domestically and equally valuable globally. For young Bangladeshis, this presents a dual opportunity: to build a prosperous career at home or to secure higher-wage employment overseas.

Bangladesh already has several institutions that provide vocational education, including Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), UCEP Bangladesh, Center for Vocational Training (CVT), and National Skills Development Authority (NSDA). Moreover, public-private initiatives such as the Skills for Employment Investment Program (SEIP) have been working to expand training in trades like electrical installation and maintenance, plumbing, refrigeration and air-conditioning, and welding.

However, despite these efforts, enrollment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes remains limited. Many courses are outdated, institutions are underfunded, and the social stigma surrounding vocational careers continues to discourage participation.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) notes that many TVET programmes in Bangladesh are still not sufficiently aligned with labour-market demand or the National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2023), only 3.65% of the country's labour force has received any form of technical or vocational training. Meanwhile, industries continue to face an average 30%–40% shortage of skilled workers across key sectors such as manufacturing, ICT and leather.

This mismatch means that graduates often struggle to find jobs that utilise their training, while employers continue to face complaints about a shortage of skilled workers. Yet the potential for transformation is immense. Properly structured and modernised vocational training can uplift millions of young people by providing them with skills that are globally portable and locally indispensable — particularly those from low-income backgrounds.

Bangladesh must reassess its approach to valuing vocational work to capitalise on this opportunity. Technical institutes need modern curricula that reflect current industry requirements, including digital infrastructure management and smart construction technologies. Stronger partnerships between technical institutes and industries should be encouraged to facilitate apprenticeships, internships, and job placements. Policymakers should also incentivise companies that invest in vocational training and establish certification pathways to ensure quality and recognition.

Moreover, many colleges and universities — both at the district and national levels — continue to produce graduates who lack practical competence. This underscores the urgent need to prioritise skill development alongside academic qualifications. Most importantly, social attitudes must change. Young people should view skilled trades not as a fallback but as a pathway to financial independence, entrepreneurship, and respectability.

The irony is striking. As the world becomes more digital, the value of the tangible grows. The future economy will be powered not only by data scientists and coders but also by the electricians who keep offices running, the technicians who maintain servers, and the carpenters who build the spaces we inhabit. The youth who pick up the tools today could be the ones keeping the nation — and the world — running tomorrow.