When something breaks down—whether it’s a pipe or a car—the first person most people call is a blue-collar worker. This is the lesson he wants his children to understand.
Clint Crawford, 55, is an automotive technician at Midas Auto Repair Shop in Arkansas. He has a message for parents worried about a shortage of white-collar entry-level jobs: Open your mind to the possibility of finding a satisfying career elsewhere.
Like Ford CEO Jim Farley describing a conversation he had with his son at his dinner table, Crawford believes this should be a debate — one that needs to be held at dinner tables across the country.
“They need to introduce alternatives and we need to give the same emphasis to technology plans,” he asserted.
Crawford has a 22-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old son. Both went to college, but growing up they weren’t expected to be the default, as he worked to emphasize the dignity and stability that come with a blue-collar career.
“If there’s a problem with the plumbing, the first person to call is either the landlord or the plumber,” Crawford told wealthadding that when a car breaks down, the first call is to a repair shop.
“The first person most people call is the blue-collar worker.”
These are the examples he gives to his children when giving them career advice, believing these workers are critical to the functioning of the economy and the smooth functioning of daily life.
“That way, they understand there are options,” Crawford said.
He also urged children to be realistic, something many parents can relate to right now. While most parents still prefer a four-year college education for their children, a new survey from Student Aid America found that 35 percent believe some form of technical education or blue-collar career might be a better fit for their children. In 2019, the figure was 13%.
This makes sense. Most white-collar entry-level jobs require a college degree, which has become a serious financial burden for younger generations. According to a 2024 report from the Education Data Initiative, Gen Z has an average of $22,948 in student loan debt. Additionally, companies are hiring less entry-level workers, in part due to tariff disruptions and artificial intelligence automating some early work experiences.
Crawford himself was concerned when his son decided to study data science because he, like many others, had heard about recruiting difficulties. But he realized “this was something he enjoyed and was good at. Computer science too.”
Crawford believes that ideally, schools and parents should start such conversations as early as possible. For his children, they thought college was actually for them. But they had a conversation, and he encouraged others to have that conversation, too.
For Crawford’s family, career discussions took place before his children earned college degrees, and he encouraged his children to be practical.
“I think a lot of times parents tell their kids, you know, do what makes you happy.” That’s fine, he says, but adds, “The reason we work is to pay the bills.” If workers can’t do that or are underpaid, “it seems pointless.”
Crawford believes people should view these jobs as valid options for providing stability — something that seems hard-earned these days. Young people should be given aptitude tests to help determine which jobs best suit their skills. When someone is good at math, he believes they should be encouraged to pursue blue-collar careers that require highly logical and mathematical processes.
Crawford found that electricians are “very math-oriented,” and that liking math doesn’t mean you have to be a mathematician.
“There are many opportunities that require a strong math background but don’t limit you to teaching math in high school or college,” he added.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com