When Dennis Wilke took the helm of Rosedale Technical College 21 years ago, the Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania, school offered three programs and enrolled primarily lower-income students.

The college has since added six new programs, all of which are in high demand and growing. This past school year, Rosedale Tech reported its highest enrollment to date.

Its demographics are shifting, too: About half of the students are eligible for need-based federal Pell grants, compared to 80% when Wilke started his presidency.

The heightened interest and shifting demographics aren’t isolated to the suburban school. It’s a trend that trade schools across the country are seeing as questions arise about the value of a four-year degree, the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market and the future of white-collar careers.

Nationwide, at public two-year colleges with a high vocational program focus, enrollment has been on the upswing since the pandemic, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, an educational nonprofit that tracks collegiate enrollment data.

This spring, enrollment at these schools increased by nearly 3%.

It grew by about 18% and 12% in spring 2024 and 2025, respectively. (National Student Clearinghouse did not share data for private, nonprofit two-year schools.)

Specific trades programs on an upturn include mechanic and repair technologies, security and protective services, engineering technologies and construction trades.

Simultaneously, there is a national decline in enrollment in areas such as communications, computer science, foreign languages and literature.

“Student interests are shifting toward more hands-on experiences,” said Hee Sun Kim, a senior research associate at the National Student Clearinghouse.

The nonprofit does not track why students are enrolling in trade schools in droves. But Pittsburgh-area leaders at these schools have some idea.

Artificial intelligence is a big driver for young people, Wilke said. Though the trades aren’t AI-proof, they’re AI compatible, he said. AI can’t build a deck, but it can think up design options for a carpenter.

AI’s full impact on white-collar jobs has yet to be seen. But when AI leaders such as Dario Amodei — CEO of Anthropic, the AI safety and research company that developed chatbot Claude — predict that AI will wipe out half of white-collar jobs, it makes high schoolers rethink their career path.

Students who may have studied computer science or engineering 10 years ago are now enrolling at Rosedale Tech, Wilke said, meaning the technical school has a higher share of higher income students who were on a college prep track.

“Especially over the past five or six years since COVID, students are doing the value comparison [and] realizing that they don't want a desk job and they don't want to gamble on not being able to find a job after four, five or six years of traditional college,” Wilke said. “Part of the growth has come from people that in the past might have matriculated to a four-year school.”

Rosedale Tech enrolled 838 students this past academic year, the highest number to date, Wilke said. Year-to-year enrollment increased by about 30% and 15%, respectively, in 2024 and 2025.

The college currently offers programs in automotive, diesel, carpentry, electricity, construction electricity, collision repair, truck driving, welding and HVAC. As the school has grown, the need for instructors has also increased. The school is currently hiring for most of its programs.

All of its programs are highly enrolled, with electricity, automotive and HVAC being particularly popular right now.

Programs are in high demand at the A.W. Beattie Career Center, too. Every program is either nearly full or wait-listed at the McCandless center, which is an extension of nine northern Allegheny County school districts where high school students can earn certifications and college credits in 19 programs.

Some of the most popular programs in recent years have included those in health and nursing sciences, carpentry building construction, cosmetology and automotive technology. Overall enrollment at the center has increased nearly 50% since 2018. It currently stands at about 1,030 students.

Eric Heasley, the center’s executive director, said this surge can in part be attributed to students’ doubts surrounding the value of a four-year degree.

As confidence in higher education plummets and tuition rises every year, wages in the skilled trades have increased 30% since 2022. Two-year degree programs or apprenticeships also tend to be a much more affordable option.

“Truly, the cost of a traditional post-secondary education has really become out of hand,” Heasley said.

Wilke added that the trades don’t just give students a viable career path — they also allow students to build a future for themselves and their families outside of work.

“We believe that our job here is to create opportunities for students to have meaningful lives. It's not just to graduate. It's not just to get a job,” he said. “It's to have a career where you can provide for a family and take vacations and feel like you're having a positive impact on the world.”

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