Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade, says young people are increasingly interested in trade jobs that are "AI-proof" and can't be easily automated. A recent survey found that 48% of 16-25 year olds are considering a trade career, but only 12% of businesses took on an apprentice last year. The UK is facing a significant trade shortage, with over one million new tradespeople needed to meet existing demand over the next decade, according to Palaniappan. Employers are prioritizing interpersonal skills, such as curiosity and ability to learn, over specific technical skills.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
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Story summary
Young people are showing increased interest in trade jobs that are less likely to be automated by artificial intelligence, according to a recent survey by Checkatrade. 48% of those aged 16-25 are considering a career in the trades, but many employers are still looking for human skills such as interpersonal skills and creativity, rather than just technical expertise. Despite this, trade businesses have been slow to take on apprentices, with only 12% of them doing so last year. Checkatrade's chief executive, Jambu Palaniappan, believes that the trades industry will benefit from young people entering the sector, but notes that there is a lack of clarity around available opportunities and apprenticeships. The UK faces a significant trade shortage, with over one million new tradespeople needed to enter the industry in the next decade.
Written for “Preparing for an AI Future” on 2026-08-31,
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 2289 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-27
Young people are increasingly showing interest in “AI-proof” trade jobs while employers are placing more weight on interpersonal skills, bosses said.
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bosses → show → skills
Jambu Palaniappan, chief executive of Checkatrade, said tradespeople were typically older, with a large proportion over the age of 50, while there have been fewer younger people entering the industry.
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tradespeople → say → industry
“That’s changing now, where people are really interested in an AI-proof job,” he told the Press Association.
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he → change → Association
“And I think the trades industry will really benefit from that.
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industry → think → that
“It’s not just about ‘university or nothing’.
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It → ’ → university
“We see a lot of ambition amongst young people in terms of entering the industry, but I think what’s missing a little bit is connecting the dots with the actual opportunities.”
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missing → see → opportunities
Checkatrade’s recent survey found that 48% of young people, aged between 16 and 25, were considering a trade career, but 12% of trade businesses took on an apprentice last year.
Furthermore, 80% said AI has made them worried about office-based job security.
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them → find → security
It comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently unveiled plans for new technical education routes for 14-year-olds in a bid to tackle youth unemployment, such as manufacturing, clean energy, life sciences and construction.
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Burnham → come → manufacturing
Recent official figures showed the number of vacancies in the UK jobs market fell to a fresh five-year low in the three months to July.
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number → show → July
Mr Palaniappan said the country has “a really acute trade shortage”, adding: “Britain needs over one million new tradespeople to enter the industry just to keep up with existing demand over the next decade.”
But he pointed to investments being made into areas such as housebuilding and energy transition.
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he → say → housebuilding
Meanwhile, recruitment agency Hays said it was prioritising a handful of specialisms that it thinks are the key to driving business growth, including construction and property, engineering and life sciences.
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it → say → construction
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The boss added that more businesses were seeing “interpersonal skills” as even more important when it comes to hiring.
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it → read → skills
He told PA: “As hard skills develop more quickly, actually having people who are curious and want to learn new skills and are open to adapt becomes a much more important thing than having someone who knows how to do it today.
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who → tell → it
“What you want is people who are curious, willing to learn, and who can work with other people.”
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who → want → people
