GM CEO Mary Barra says America has a ‘societal problem’ with skilled trades—and is putting $200 million behind training Gen Z to work with their hands

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has a simple message for high school students weighing their career options: Don’t overlook the skilled trades .

On a recent episode of Fortune’s Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast , the 64-year-old automotive leader said that blue-collar careers could offer more protection from artificial intelligence than some white-collar paths—and still give Gen Z a shot at six-figure earnings .

“[We need to] really make sure high school students understand this is a great career and frankly maybe a little more AI-proof than some others,” Barra said, adding that a technician could make $80,000 to $90,000.

“Potentially even higher, depending on how many hours they work.” The opportunities extend well beyond the automotive industry.

An estimated 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled nationally by 2030, according to the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades , a coalition formed over the summer by BlackRock , Carhartt, Ford Motor Company, and Google to address the labor gap.

Barra pointed specifically to the growing demand for electricians , fueled in part by the data center boom powering the expansion of AI.

More than 300,000 new electricians are estimated to be needed over the next decade to meet demand.

Mary Barra’s career started on the assembly line, following in her blue-collar father’s footsteps For Barra, who is ranked No.

2 Most Powerful Woman on Fortune’s 2026 list , the conversation around skilled trades is personal.

Both of her parents grew up during the Great Depression, and her father worked at GM for 39 years as a die maker.

His background helped shape Barra’s appreciation for the people who build things—and the value of hard work.

“I had that instinct of we work before we play, and we work hard,” she told Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell.

Barra would eventually follow her father into the auto industry.

She attended the General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), where she began working as a co-op student on the assembly line as a quality inspector at GM’s Pontiac Motor Division.