SURRY COUNTY, N.C. – Trade programs across the country are trying hard to prepare the next generation for the workforce in the face of impending shortages.  

Surry Community College lead electrical instructor Darryl Evans said the average age for an electrician in North Carolina is 58 years old. He is part of a push to get more young people interested in the field. 

“We have approximately 13,800 people with a license in the state, but a lot of those are inactive. So they're not really, they're not really doing anything in the trade, but only 1% are… approximately 1% are between the ages of 20 and 30,” Evans said. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that many more electricians will be needed across the country to keep up with demand. Over the next 10 years, the BLS predicts almost 74,000 open jobs for electricians per year, for reasons ranging from retirement to career changes. 

SCC director of engineering technologies Ray Hoots said the interest in becoming an electrician has dropped over the years, but he is starting to see an increase in enrollment for the program. Hoots said he and his colleagues are trying to reach students in elementary, middle and high school to let them know that trades are an option for their futures. 

“We just get out there and talk to them and let them know that if you're interested in this type of work, working with your hands or working with some math and figuring out some, you know, some values as far as voltage and current and stuff like that, maybe electrical work as your line of the career that you want to go into," Hoots said. 

The BLS reports that the field is expected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032.