With rising tuition costs and nearly $2 billion in student loan debt, many young Americans are rethinking the value of a traditional bachelor’s degree. Instead, a growing number are embracing vocational training, with vocational school enrollment rising 16% last year alone. Dubbed “the tool belt generation,” Gen Z is leading the charge, including a notable wave of young women.

Victoria Carl: Breaking Stereotypes in Auto Repair

Victoria Carl, 25, owns Carl’s Advanced Automotive and Truck Repair Center in Albany. Despite initial resistance, Carl’s passion for cars, sparked by childhood memories of racing go-karts and restoring trucks with her dad, led her to take over a repair shop at just 21. Now, with four full-time technicians and expected annual sales surpassing $1 million, Carl is proving that women can excel in automotive repair. “These older men are starting to really understand how valuable women are in this trade,” she says.

Bri Loomis: Building Dreams with Heavy Equipment

At 19, Bri Loomis is already driving trucks for New York State and contributing to major projects like the Buffalo Bills stadium. Despite being advised to pursue college instead, Loomis followed her passion for heavy machinery, starting with a BOCES program in high school. Now, she’s found a fulfilling career with the state, balancing her love for the job with a vision for a future family. “I love that I’ve found something that gives me the time to have a healthy work-life balance,” Loomis says.

Shauna Irving: Leading the Way for Women Electricians

Shauna Irving, 33, is the youngest-ever president of her electrician’s union women’s club, Local Union No. 3. Growing up in Brooklyn, Irving admired her father’s work as a sheet metal worker, which inspired her to enter the electrical trade. Today, she’s not just thriving in a male-dominated field but also using her platform to encourage other women to join. “You can make the same amount of money as a man on the job, which is not guaranteed in other fields,” Irving notes.

Emiley Filuta: A Mechanic’s Dream Realized

At just 17, Emiley Filuta from Troy is already living her childhood dream of becoming a mechanic, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. Enrolled in an Automotive Technologies program at Questar III BOCES, Filuta is gaining hands-on experience at Rensselaer Honda, where she earns $17 an hour while perfecting her skills. “It just feels amazing to know that I can do that,” Filuta says of her ability to diagnose and fix mechanical issues.

As these young women demonstrate, the trades offer not just a viable alternative to traditional education but also a fulfilling career path where skill, passion, and dedication can lead to success.

Credit: New York Post