Gen Z Is Ditching College for Non-Traditional Career Paths: Six Alternatives to Consider (Image: Pexels)
Apprenticeships and trade certifications
Gen Z and Millennial Survey
Coding boot camps and tech certifications
Course Report
Gen Z Workplace Blueprint 2025
Digital entrepreneurship and content creation
Upwork
Walton Family Foundation
Unlocking Pathways for Gen Z
Healthcare support roles
State of Gen Z in the American Workplace
The Interview Guys
Skilled trades in advanced manufacturing
Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Association of Manufacturers 2025
Public service and government employment
McKinsey & Company
College is still valuable for many but a clear cohort of US Gen Zers (roughly people born 1997–2012) are choosing faster, cheaper or more flexible paths into work. America’s Gen Z is increasingly opting for non-traditional career routes instead of traditional college programs as college costs surge, job markets shift and new technologies reshape what employers want. These alternate routes often offer faster entry into employment, less debt and sometimes more personal satisfaction.Gen Z’s risk tolerance, financial pressures and shifting employer demand are driving a real transform
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