Ford’s CEO says his generation Z is choosing practical work over university

In an exclusive interview with LuckFarley revealed that his son has decided to spend the summer as a manufacturer in North Carolina instead of taking summer classes. « He feels it’s more fulfilling than doing summer school at some fancy college, » Farley said. « I think it’s ironic and also a little satisfying — that we’re rediscovering the value of these jobs that really got us all to college. »

The comment is not Farley’s first on the subject. Last October, Luck reported At Ford’s Pro Accelerate Summit about his son’s skepticism about a four-year degree — surprised him by saying he’d just had a busy summer working as a mechanic, adding, « I don’t know why I have to go to college. » Farley has also spoken how he has deliberately organized his son’s summers around a practical occupation – welding, manufacturing, working with his hands.

When told that the story seems to be resonating, Farley said he wasn’t surprised. « The job market is not easy for young college graduates, » he said Luck this week. « If you’re a matriculating parent, you’re asking the same question as we are in our household: What will happen to our children and their careers? »

He is not wrong that the cultural tide is changing. A November 2025 NBC News poll found that 63 percent of Americans now say a four-year degree is « not worth the cost » — up from 47 percent in 2017. Generation Z takes this skepticism: Between 2011 and 2023 about 2 million students less at four-year universities, and in the first quarter of 2024, Generation Z accounted for nearly 25% of all new professional workers. A February 2026 survey found that 60% of Gen Zers plan to pursue a professional career this year.

America’s truck for the essential economy

The personal anecdote comes as Farley has made the so-called « essential economy » — the tradespeople, manufacturers, electricians and welders who keep the country running — a central pillar of his tenure at Ford. On May 7, the company unveiled the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt Special Edition, a co-branded utility vehicle built in partnership with the 130-year-old Detroit workwear giant. Less of a product reveal than a celebration of the people who actually use the truck to run their business, it brought together about 300 key economic workers and workers in Detroit.

« It’s not a pretend truck. It’s not a show truck, » Farley said. « It’s an F-250 that people buy to go to work. But I bet it’s going to be a badge of honor for a lot of people on the job site. »

The truck is designed to feel like a Carhartt jacket from the inside out. Duck Canvas seat parts, Carhartt Brown and Field Khaki color options and two-brand badges bring a collaborative aesthetic to the entire cockpit. Under the hood, buyers can spec the truck with Ford’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel — the most powerful diesel engine in its class — or a powerful 7.3-liter gas V8. With Pro Power Onboard options of up to 4.0 kilowatts, workers can use job site tools right from their bed.

Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard joined Farley to speak Lucksaid the partnership was anything but marketing. « For Ford and Carhartt, this is not a side initiative, » he said. « It’s really core to both of our businesses and the way we operate. » He noted that Hamilton Carhartt called workers « world builders » when he founded the company in the 1880s. « How do we get young people to think, yeah, that would be a great career for me and something I’d be proud of? »

The origin story of their partnership is vintage Farley, an automotive marketing wizard from the 1990s. Several years ago, she took her daughter—then just starting high school—to a Carhartt store in downtown Detroit. He was struck not only by the clothes, but also by how Carhartt had consistently portrayed working-class America as aspirational. « I went back to the company and said, ‘Why don’t we do a co-branded product with Carhartt?’ When the opportunity finally materialized, he was all-in. « I’ve never felt a more organic, natural partnership. We’re both from Detroit. We’ve both been through wars and economic downturns and ups and downs. We have the same customers and the same respect for those customers. »

Crisis in the third period

The launch of the truck lands in the background, which Farley and Hubbard described as having a real sense of urgency. The skilled trades shortage—the gap between the jobs America desperately needs to fill and the workers available to fill them—remains, in Farley’s words, « stark. » He put the country in the « second or third innings » of seriously grappling with it, noting that while awareness has improved, solutions remain fragmented. « So many of the real problems are in small businesses and small businesses that don’t have funding, » Farley said. « Vocational school is often offered as an option, but it is very expensive. Not everyone can afford it. »

Ford lives that tension internally. In January, the company had 5,000 open mechanic jobs paying around $120,000 per year— positions, Farley says, that he simply can’t find workers to fill.

Macro stakes rise quickly. As data centers proliferate across the country — a flashpoint for midterm policy and a key economic job creator — Farley sees the conversation quickly shifting from permitting and water use to something more fundamental: whether America has the labor to build and power them. « Even if data centers are built, there’s still a huge question mark about how the energy industry will support them, » he said. « And there’s obviously a big shortage. »

Farley said the debate over skilled trade and essential economy will only intensify as this dynamic shifts from the data center boom to the grid energy shortage. « In our case, we’re launching an energy storage business, » Farley said of the company’s newly formed subsidiary. Ford Energy.

In December 2025, the company announced that it would convert it BlueOval SK factory in Glendale, Kentucky– originally designed to manufacture batteries for electric cars in cooperation with South Korea SK In use – a dedicated hub for large-scale battery energy storage systems aimed at data centers, facilities and industrial customers. Ford is investing $2 billion over two years to grow its business to at least 20 gigawatt hours of annual production by the end of 2027. It has also revamped its Marshalls in Michigan, plant for energy storage cells in residential buildings.

Kentucky’s change came about through the layoffs of about 1,500 employees and a A $19.5 billion write-down. And at Marshall, workers are now learning lithium iron phosphate chemistry—skills most never expected to need when they entered the job. « We ourselves are finding a shortage of skilled trades when we convert automotive battery factories to energy storage battery factories in Kentucky and Michigan, » Farley said. Luck.

According to a March 2026 labor market reportthe data center industry is predicted to have a shortfall of up to 499,000 workers, and construction labor costs will increase by 8-12 percent compared to a year ago. « I think our story is just very similar to what’s happening across the country with linemen, electricians and plumbers, » Farley said. « It’s not just about data centers, it’s about transmission lines, off-grid energy sources. It’s going to be a bigger conversation, not a smaller conversation. »

Data is more complex

This is where Farley’s argument runs into friction. A four-year degree – at least in pure economics – remains tenacious.

The The university board will report in April 2026 that full-time college graduates earn about 60% more than high school graduates, which has remained consistent for decades. The New York Fed reported median income $80,000 per year compared to those with a bachelor’s degree $47,000 for high school diploma holders. Georgetown Education and Workforce Center found that prime-age bachelor’s degree earners earn 70% more on average. According to most estimates, the lifetime earnings of college graduates are more than $1 million higher than those without a degree.

There are also career stage dynamics that complicate trades vs. college calculus. Salaries for skilled trades can be very competitive early on – experienced welders and electricians routinely earn between $55,000 and $80,000, but the trajectory often plateaus. In contrast, college graduates’ incomes usually accelerate significantly during their 30s and 40s. The story of who « wins » financially depends a lot on what happens at age 35, not at age 22.

Farley doesn’t shy away from nuance entirely. « People understand that if you’re making all these sacrifices to pay for your kids’ education, » he said, « at the end of the day, they’re looking at student debt and a long runway to make it all make sense financially. And we have more pressure on our parents’ health care. It’s just a lot more pressure on everybody’s pocketbook. »

For Farley, the macro and the personal argument are inseparable – and the central economic debate is no longer a narrow labor story. It’s becoming a mainstream political and economic flashpoint, with everyone from Larry Fink to Jamie Dimon now publicly sounding the alarm about the skilled labor shortage threatening America’s growth ambitions. The Advertising Council is launching a paid advertising campaign around itself. Third-party data investments are growing.

Hubbard put it plainly: « It seems like business is picking up the mantle and saying, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to move this forward.’