Career Communications Group has announced that the May 19–20 virtual job fair will take place on the STEM City USA platform.
This event is designed to connect graduates and veterans to careers in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and other fields that define the future.
Participants will step into an immersive online world, where they’ll meet employers, military representatives, colleges, and training providers—all ready to guide them toward real-world opportunities. Click here for more information.
Skilled trades are seeking more workers with STEM skills who can apply math and science in practical ways. In areas like plumbing, carpentry, and HVAC, these skills help with problem-solving and managing complex projects.
Knowing STEM opens up jobs such as HVAC technician, CAD operator, and construction manager, where understanding building codes, blueprints, and energy efficiency is important.
There is a stronger focus now on connecting classroom learning to hands-on work, especially for jobs like CAD or BIM operators.
Having a STEM background can also lead to leadership, project management, or even owning a business.
Leaders like Yolanda Natal-Santos, director of Microsoft’s Leap, highlight how leadership and training programs help people grow in tech and STEM careers. At the WOC STEM Conference, Natal-Santos shared that Leap’s training has helped people from many backgrounds succeed in top STEM jobs.
National Apprenticeship Week and events at the BEYA STEM Conference also show how apprenticeships and structured training help build the workforce, especially in new fields like AI.
Leaders such as Senator Cory McCray have pointed out that mentorship and hands-on learning give people more opportunities to advance and make the skilled trades fairer.
In the skilled trades, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers delivers high-paying, in-demand training.
The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers National Apprenticeship Program spans four years and focuses on welding and vessel assembly.
Additionally, Associated Builders and the Laborers' International Union of North America offer industry-standard training for construction crafts.
As apprenticeships grow in technology, skilled trades, and healthcare, AI is changing what employers expect and what jobs look like. The use of AI is raising the need for skilled workers to build and maintain AI systems, so jobs now require a mix of technical and digital skills.
AI is changing the way skilled trades work. Around 74% of contractors say AI has made their work more efficient, and 48% say it has helped lower costs.
- AI-powered predictive maintenance uses sensor data to fix equipment problems before they get worse, and AI-assisted diagnostics help repair complex systems like HVAC faster.
- AI also takes care of repetitive or dangerous tasks using collaborative robots, so people can spend more time on problem-solving and important decisions.
- AI is pushing skilled trades toward 'new-collar' jobs that need both digital and technical skills.
- Electricians, robot technicians, and others now use advanced diagnostics and equipment connected to the internet.
- Virtual reality is used for training, and augmented reality helps with on-site diagnostics, like seeing inside machines without taking them apart.
Even though there is a lot of demand, there is still a shortage of skilled workers as many experienced people retire.
To make the most of AI in skilled trades, training in schools needs to better match what is needed on the job. Most construction professionals, about 90%, think AI will soon be essential in their work.
Unlike white-collar roles that involve data processing, skilled trades are considered more "AI-proof" than office jobs that focus on data, because they need hands-on skills, good judgment, and the ability to work in unpredictable situations.
In these fields, AI is used to help workers, not replace them. Jobs for the Future (JFF) says that digital skills are now required for roles from electricians to robot technicians.
AI is becoming a partner for skilled trades workers. As these jobs change, people who combine practical skills with digital and AI knowledge will lead a strong and important workforce in the future.
- Microsoft Leap is a 16-week initiative that integrates classroom instruction with practical engineering projects.
- The IBM Apprenticeship Program offers a 12-month pathway for individuals without advanced degrees.
- Google Apprenticeships provide 18-month opportunities in Data Analytics, Information Technology, and User Experience Design.
- Amazon UX Design and Research prepares employees for careers as designers and researchers.
- LaunchCode delivers full-time, paid technology apprenticeships, while the Accenture Apprenticeship features compensated positions with mentorship in technology and business.