AI in Trades: A Workforce Transition

There's a conversation coming for the apprenticeship and trades sector that we can't avoid much longer.

AI is already showing up in construction, electrical, manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, quoting, diagnostics, planning, customer communication, safety systems, and workflow optimisation. Apprentices are already using it.

Today's learners are learning with and about AI, even when training has not fully caught up. Many qualified tradies only a few years out of apprenticeship had little structured exposure during their own training.

The work ahead includes retraining existing tradespeople, upskilling supervisors and trainers, helping employers adapt, redesigning learning models, and building sector capability at a pace that matches industry change.

Can apprenticeship, VET, compliance and workforce development systems evolve fast enough to support safe, high-quality adoption?

I'll be facilitating a panel on AI, apprenticeships and the future of trades at the upcoming NAEN National Conference.