When Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison spoke at a Business Roundtable in Washington, DC, he didn’t make headlines by talking about boardrooms or balance sheets. Instead, he pointed to the real growth opportunities on the front lines—where customers turn a wrench or patch a roof, not where executives sit in glass towers. Ellison reminded everyone that no matter how smart AI gets at crunching numbers or rerouting calls, it can’t climb a ladder to fix a shingle or diagnose a busted water heater. Those solutions still belong to experienced hands.
Trade Job Openings Outpace Automation Risks
Consider the numbers: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates nearly 250,000 construction openings and about 380,000 spots in manufacturing right now. In more than 1,700 Lowe’s stores nationwide, most jobs involve face-to-face guidance—picking the perfect paint, mapping out a remodel or tracking down an electrical glitch. Ellison says these roles are probably the last to be automated, making them a surprisingly safe bet for anyone starting out.
AI Cuts Spike White-Collar Uncertainty
That message carries extra punch at a time when tech firms are trimming white-collar staff, often in the name of automation. On the very same day, Amazon’s CEO warned that generative AI could soon shrink their office workforce. While some parts of the economy brace for cuts, Ellison’s advice is refreshingly straightforward: “Stay close to the cash register.” In other words, stick with jobs where real people need real help.
Gen Z Embraces Apprenticeships Over Degrees
Younger workers are already listening. Surveys show more grads opting for apprenticeships and trade schools over traditional four-year degrees. Lowe’s even offers tuition-free programs in two- and four-year technical fields—sending skilled workers out into the wider trade market, if that’s where the demand is strongest. For Ellison, closing the skills gap is more important than hoarding talent behind the company badge.
Why Hands-On Roles Are Recession-Proof
Looking ahead, those hands-on roles could be the most recession-proof, long after AI has taken over routine office tasks. So if you’re weighing your next career move, remember this: machines may learn your work routines, but they won’t match human intuition when a boiler leaks at midnight or a showroom needs a personal touch. In a world sprinting toward automation, the best collaborations with AI might very well happen on the shop floor, not just in the cloud.