A major British recruitment agency is telling middle-class parents something unexpected: forget university and get your kids ready for manual labor instead. This isn’t just random advice. It shows how AI is completely changing which jobs will survive and which ones won’t.
The impact of AI on jobs is reshaping everything we thought we knew about career success.
College Degrees Aren’t the Golden Ticket Anymore
For decades, getting a university degree was the obvious path to a good job. But AI is changing that, especially for office jobs that new graduates usually start with. A World Economic Forum report found that 40% of employers plan to cut jobs where AI can do the work instead.
This hits recent graduates hard. There are fewer entry-level office jobs available, and competition is getting fierce.
J.P. Morgan economists point out that AI is replacing workers who do routine tasks, including many “knowledge workers.” AI can analyze data, write basic computer code, and handle customer service calls. But it struggles with jobs that need quick thinking and physical skills - exactly what many manual jobs require.
Jobs AI Can’t Touch
While AI takes over office work, hands-on jobs are becoming more valuable. Skilled trades like plumbing, electrical work, and construction need complex physical skills, spatial thinking, and the ability to adapt quickly. Current AI and robots simply can’t do these jobs cost-effectively in real-world situations.
These jobs need human creativity, experience, and direct interaction. AI might help with scheduling or diagnosing problems, but the actual work still needs human hands. Industries that rely on manual labor are seeing more demand and getting more respect.
It’s the opposite of what many people expected from advancing technology.
Rethinking How We Climb the Career Ladder
This shift forces us to question our entire approach to education and careers. If traditional paths to success are getting clogged up, we need to create new ones that society respects just as much.
This means putting money into vocational training, apprenticeships, and skills-based education that directly connects to the growing need for manual expertise. It also means changing how we think about these jobs and moving past outdated ideas about social class.
The impact reaches far beyond individual careers. It affects financial security for millions of people and the stability of our entire economy. If the future needs more hands-on skills, our education system must catch up.
We’re not rejecting technology. We’re understanding its limits and using human strengths where machines fail. As AI changes everything from how we vote to how we get hired, we need to grasp its full impact on society.
Building a New Definition of Success
This advice isn’t about abandoning higher education completely. It’s a reality check about what makes for a valuable career when AI dominates knowledge work.
Some people will still benefit from traditional academic paths, especially if they focus on creative problem-solving and critical thinking that works alongside AI. But for many others, prosperity will increasingly come from mastering a trade, building things with their hands, and doing practical work that resists automation.
As technology evolves, we must evolve our approach to preparing young people for careers that are both fulfilling and secure.