GM CEO Mary Barra Urges Respect for Skilled Trades, Cites AI Threat

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has stated that the United States has a "societal problem" regarding its view of skilled trades, arguing that these careers deserve greater respect and can offer strong job security, even in an era of advancing artificial intelligence. Barra suggested that high school students should consider vocational paths like auto technicians and electricians, as these hands-on jobs may be less susceptible to disruption by AI than some white-collar professions.

"We need to really make sure high school students understand this is a great career and frankly maybe a little more AI-proof than some others," Barra told Fortune’s “Titans and Disruptors of Industry” podcast. She noted that a technician's salary can range from $80,000 to $90,000 annually, with the potential to earn even more based on hours worked.

Barra's comments come amid a recognized shortage of skilled blue-collar workers in the U.S. Ford CEO Jim Farley previously mentioned that his company struggled to fill approximately 5,000 mechanic positions despite offering an annual salary of $120,000. The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades projects a deficit of 2.1 million skilled-trades workers by 2030.

During the podcast, Barra pointed to the increasing demand for electricians, partly driven by the expansion of data centers necessary for AI development. The U.S. is anticipated to require over 300,000 additional electricians in the coming decade.

Barra, who has led GM since 2014, expressed that the U.S. does not afford the same level of respect to technical, hands-on careers as it does to many office-based roles. "I frankly think this is an area where Europe has much more respect for the trades and the importance of people who do very technical things but work with their hands and build things and make things and service things," she stated.

Barra's own background is tied to the trades, with her father having worked for GM for 39 years as a die maker. Her career at GM began with a co-op position inspecting quality on a Pontiac assembly line while she studied at the General Motors Institute, now Kettering University. She joined GM full-time as an electrical engineer in 1985.

General Motors has reportedly invested nearly $200 million in training programs and facilities related to skilled trades and technical roles, including advanced manufacturing and engineering positions. This investment also supports local training initiatives and improvements at GM's manufacturing plants, technical centers, and service operations.

In April, GM expanded its skilled-trades programs by adding approximately 90 apprentices across its U.S. manufacturing divisions.

Other business leaders have echoed concerns about the shortage of skilled labor. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has stated that the U.S. will need around 300,000 electricians, welders, and other workers for shipbuilding over the next five to 10 years. "It fits what we call the American dream: getting kids skills or all workers’ skills that they have jobs that could pay $80,000, $90,000, $100,000 a year after you know a year or two of training," Dimon remarked.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has also raised alarms about AI's potential to disrupt traditional career paths originating from college education, noting that society is not adapting quickly enough to the rapid changes brought about by AI. "AI is going to create a lot of skilled job needs," Fink said, emphasizing the speed of this technological transformation as a significant challenge for the nation.