Age of AI? Almost 9 in 10 children say they actually want “hands-on” jobs in the future, according to new research.
A survey of 2,000 parents and their Gen Alpha children (ages 5-16) found that children are already thinking about jobs, and most (85%) want a “hands-on” job.
Along with tactile work, many kids said they’re interested in having a job where they can help people (90%) and be creative (87%).
The study explored how career conversations are playing out between parents and kids, as well as gauging kids’ interest in trade work, and the survey found that conversations about future jobs are happening early and proactively.
According to the results, 90% of parents said they’ve already discussed different career opportunities with their child.
Commissioned by Red Wing and conducted by Talker Research, the study also found that parents who are talking to their children about careers try to do so pretty early on.
Parents polled said that age 9 is the best age, on average, to begin talking to their child about what they want to be when they grow up.
And some are getting an extra early head start with it, starting future job conversations with their child as early as five years old and younger (14%).
In terms of future career paths, many parents echoed the sentiment that their child could be “anything they want to be.” Most (70%) said they would be likely to encourage their child to pursue a trade/blue-collar career.
And the likelihood of encouragement towards blue-collar jobs increases with parents who themselves do trade/blue-collar work (80%).
Parents said they’d be likely to encourage trade/blue-collar work because there’s a good work/life balance (49%) and an opportunity to earn a high income (42%).
And children shared how they felt about the line of work, too, with 68% of kids polled knowing what trade/blue-collar jobs are.
Among those children, sentiments about trade work are overwhelmingly positive. They said they think trade/blue-collar jobs are good (85%) and important (88%) careers, and 70% even said they’re interested in having a trade and/or blue-collar job when they grow up.
Some have even honed in on specific trades, with kids saying they’re likely to become firefighters (11%), electricians (8%), or even welders (7%).
“No matter what industry or direction kids want to go in for their careers, it’s important for parents to start talking about their options early on,” said Dave Schneider, chief marketing officer, Red Wing Shoe Company. “Gen Alpha is the next wave of our workforce, and by preparing them with knowledge around all of the possibilities and then taking it one step further and offering them the tools to get there, everyone succeeds.”
But regardless of what careers their kids choose, parents want their kids to have the right skills and values to be successful.
In preparation for their child’s future life and careers, parents believe that instilling values such as honesty (33%), respect (32%), and hard work (32%) are most important.
And 99% of parents hope their child will carry the values they instill into their future career.
Parents are also prioritizing teaching practical life skills such as communication (33%), personal hygiene (30%), and budgeting (29%) to set their kids up for success.
But, at the end of the day, the majority of parents (90%) agreed that being happy is what defines success for their child.
And whichever career they pursue, many parents (62%) want their child to gain happiness from their future job, even more than money (50%).
“The trades are such an important part of society, and it’s exciting to see kids showing an interest in that as a career path,” said Schneider. “We want to keep encouraging that interest and exploration, and show that skilled trade jobs are worthwhile and shouldn’t be considered just a backup plan to four-year degrees. Blue-collar careers require a lot of hard work, and it’s clear that children of trade workers see that in their parents.”
Kids’ interest in trade work:
Top values parents said are important to instill in their kids:
Top practical life skills parents are working to instill in their kids:
Research methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents and their Gen Alpha children (ages 5-16) who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Red Wing and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 29 – June 8, 2026.
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