Stanley Tobin in Newsweek: the AI economy still runs on skilled trades

Why data centers, power and cooling depend on electricians, welders and HVAC technicians

In a Newsweek opinion piece, Senior Director Stanley Tobin argues that the AI debate is stuck on the wrong question. Most of the attention goes to which jobs AI will replace. Stanley’s point is that AI runs on data centers, power plants, transmission lines and cooling systems, and that work falls to electricians, HVAC technicians, welders and construction crews.

He cites Deloitte’s estimate that U.S. manufacturing will need 3.8 million new workers between 2024 and 2033, and that nearly 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled. PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer shows the other side: AI is already raising productivity and pay in office work.

He calls for more paid apprenticeships in electrical, HVAC, welding and industrial maintenance, and for high schools to report apprenticeship and earnings outcomes next to college placement, so students can compare both paths.

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Young America Capital is a 50-person New York-based investment bank and member of FINRA/SIPC, specializing in mergers & acquisitions, institutional capital raising, and strategic advisory.

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