General Motors CEO Mary Barra is urging high school students to consider skilled trades, arguing that technical, hands-on careers could be more resistant to artificial intelligence than some white-collar jobs while offering strong earnings. She said dealer technicians can earn $80,000 to $90,000, potentially more depending on hours worked. The United States could face 2.1 million unfilled skilled-trades jobs by 2030, while more than 300,000 electricians may be needed over the next decade as data centers expand. GM has invested nearly $200 million in skilled-trades training and related manufacturing, engineering and technician roles, and placed about 90 apprentices across its U.S. manufacturing divisions in April. The demand extends beyond autos: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have also pointed to growing requirements for electricians, plumbers, construction workers and steelworkers building AI infrastructure, with Meta committing $115 million to workforce training.