Most (76%) Gen Zs agree a stigma is associated with going to vocational school over a traditional four-year university, according to Jobber’s Annual Blue-Collar Report: Gen Z and the Trades Need Each Other. In turn, the U.S. housing stock is aging rapidly, with the median age of homes reaching 40 years old. This is a critical problem, as the U.S. is experiencing a labor shortage across most industries as labor force participation declines and the workforce ages and retires. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment demands in trade industries are often greater than or pacing the 3% average of all occupations—representing not just a gap, but a growing chasm. "If you own a home, you have a problem," said Sam Pillar, Jobber CEO and co-founder. "While there is some renewed interest among the younger generation to pursue blue-collar careers, there's still far too much work homeowners need done, and not enough workers to do it. We need to do a better job showing Gen Z how incredible the opportunities in the trades are and encouraging them to consider that path." Key findings, based on survey responses from 1,000 students in the U.S. aged 18-20, provide deeper insights into why Gen Z is not pursuing blue-collar careers and how society can encourage younger generations to consider them. Despite these growing stigmas and misconceptions, the report showed they actually might want blue-collar careers, and just don't know it yet. The "American Dream" Gen Z has been taught to measure success through a white-collar lens, but AI, the economy, and layoffs are changing their minds. Their concerns around white-collar careers are clear: One-third (33%) of Gen Z said that white-collar desk jobs are less stable today than they were for their parents' generation. 41% agree that the potential for AI to replace jobs has made it harder to achieve the "American Dream," and 46% believe fewer jobs opportunities will exist in the future. 70% said they are not optimistic about the future of the economy. When asked what would make a trade career more appealing, Gen Z described what blue-collar professions already offer, including flexible work hours (73%), job stability (61%), and overtime pay (58%). Caree letdowns Parents have blue-collar blindness, schools fail to educate students on blue-collar opportunities, and Hollywood negates hard work, the survey found. Other findings include: 51% of Gen Z identify family as their biggest influence on the careers they chose to pursue. 61% said their parents haven't spoken to them about vocational school—or even told their children not to consider it. 17% of Gen Z said they have been educated on the benefits of vocational training after high school. This was significantly lower than bachelor's degrees, community college, military service, and entrepreneurship. More than a third (35%) of Gen Z said television shows and movies have influenced the careers they want to explore, and 47% described trade professionals as being generally portrayed negatively (incompetent, unhealthy, and/or unhappy) in shows and movies. Women in the trades While some workforces have evolved to accommodate the modern gender distribution of labor, the trades have yet to establish this balance. Nearly half (48%) of Gen Z agreed that women are discouraged from pursuing trade careers from a young age. 58% of Gen Z said that women face more discrimination within trade careers—compared to other career options. Yet, while most women (68%) believe this, only 47% of men do.
Dominic (Nick) Paolella, a founder of Jon-Don, passed away February 17, 2022. He was 86 years old. Paolella is survived by his wife of 58 years, Judi (nee Lininger), and their six children. In 1978 he founded janitorial supply company Jon-Don and was a fixture at restoration industry trade shows and events ever since. He received the Ralph Bloss Humanitarian Award in 2017 at The Experience Convention and Trade Show in recognition of his kindness. For more on Paolella’s extraordinary life, including quotes and a photo gallery, see this tribute from CMM's sister brand Cleanfax.
Businesses in many industries came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, and hotels were no exception. As the economy reopened and guests started checking in again, hotels quickly realized that sanitization must be held to a higher standard to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. New cleaning protocols to combat COVID-19 are expected to cost the hotel industry up to US$9 billion annually, according to a report from Hotel Asset Value Enhancement Inc., Consulting U.S. reports. These costs are linked to increased cleaning of rooms and public spaces, new supply costs, and reopening expenses. Housekeepers will be focusing on high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and light switches. The daily process to change bedsheets will be revamped and require the use of electrostatic equipment. These new standards will lead to the average housekeeper taking an additional 507 minutes each week to clean guest rooms and 50% more time to clean public spaces. With the cleaning time increased per room, housekeepers will be using more cleaning products, driving up supply costs 30%. One-time reopening costs will add about $30,000 to the budget, with hotels purchasing hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass barriers, new signage, floor markers for social distancing, and other products, according to the report. Learn best practices for cleaning hotels to help keep guests and staff healthy and safe.
Charles O. Lane, a driving force in making National Sanitary Supply Co. a leader in the industry, passed away on December 10, 2019. Charles (Chuck) Lane worked at National Sanitary Supply for 35 years with his partner Bob Garber and his brother Tom Lane, an ISSA past president who currently serves on the ISSA Charities board of directors. Tom Lane remembers when National Sanitary Supply was sold. “In 1983 we sold the company, and at that time, the Lane family owned 50%. When we looked at the records, my mom Pearl Lane owned 24.75%, Chuck owned 13.1215%, and I owned 12.1312%. However, on the documents, Chuck changed the number by hand so that he had 12.6263% and I had 12.6263%. He wanted us to have equal shares.” Charles Lane was born to Edward and Pearl Lane on May 6, 1930 in Philadelphia. He attended Philadelphia’s Central High School, and in 1948 his family moved to Los Angeles. He attended UCLA, where he met his future wife, Ellen. They were married in February of 1952 and had three children, Robin, Jon, and Daniel. Prior to working at National Sanitary Supply, Charles Lane was a staff sergeant in the Army from 1952 to 1954. After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Palm Desert, California in 1999. He loved golf. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, brother, cousin, and friend. A memorial service was held on Sunday, December 15, at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City, California.
