As Generation Z faces the challenge of artificial intelligence upending traditional career ladders, a growing number of South Korean teenagers are choosing to skip university and enroll in semiconductor vocational schools. This path puts them on track for six-figure salaries before they even reach the legal age of adulthood.

Instead of spending their final high school year cramming for college entrance exams, these students study subjects like calculus and chemistry alongside practical skills such as circuit design, cleanroom protocols, and pollution control. These are the technical foundations needed to enter the country's multi-hundred-billion-dollar chip industry.

At Chungbuk Semiconductor High School, located southeast of Seoul, 96.4% of graduates already have job offers. Seventeen-year-old senior No Jun-sik has already secured a job offer from Samsung. "When I was in middle school, I persuaded some classmates to come here with me," he said. "But many chose to go to regular high schools to aim for college. Quite a few of them now regret it."

Like No, about a quarter of the school's graduates go directly to work for Samsung, South Korea's largest company. Reports indicate that the average salary for Samsung Electronics employees last year was 158 million won (about $107,300). According to the latest union contract at Samsung, if profit targets are met, semiconductor division employees—including production line operators—could receive up to $400,000 in compensation next year.

The rise of artificial intelligence is making it harder for college graduates to find jobs, but it is creating numerous six-figure salary opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing. The appeal of more hands-on careers in semiconductor fabrication is growing. At the same time, the AI wave is prompting young people globally to rethink whether a traditional four-year university degree remains the most reliable path to a stable, high-paying job.

In the second quarter of 2026, the number of unemployed people with a university degree or higher in South Korea exceeded 480,000, a five-year high. The unemployment rate for the 15-to-29 age group inched up to 7.2%. Due to the impact of AI, competition for entry-level positions is expected to continue intensifying.

This phenomenon is not unique to South Korea. In the United States, the unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher has reached 2.7%, a level not seen since 2015, excluding the pandemic period. Young Americans are also facing employment difficulties, with teenagers confronting the most challenging summer job market in nearly 80 years.

Meanwhile, AI is generating massive demand for the talent needed to build the underlying infrastructure. Billions of dollars are pouring into chip factories and data centers in Texas, California, Arizona, New York, and Ohio. The market is urgently seeking electricians, technicians, construction workers, and high-end manufacturing professionals. McKinsey research data shows that by 2030, the U.S. semiconductor industry is expected to face a shortage of about 157,000 skilled workers.

For many job seekers, these high-paying roles are becoming an alternative to the traditional college route. Data from the Semiconductor Industry Association indicates that one in five semiconductor workers does not have a college degree, while the industry's average annual salary was around $170,000 in 2020.

Beyond semiconductors, companies are also investing heavily in training skilled trades talent. The talent boom in the chip industry is just one part of a larger trend in the United States to rebuild the skilled workforce. Earlier this month, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon pointed out that the shipbuilding industry and other large industrial projects urgently need a large number of skilled workers. Speaking at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Dimon said, "Over the next 5 to 10 years, we'll need 300,000 electricians, welders, and other workers for ship construction."

Concurrently, JPMorgan Chase announced a $24 million investment through loans and charitable donations to support a new submarine manufacturing facility. The plant is expected to create 450 permanent jobs and expand vocational training programs.

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is also involved, recently launching a $115 million training program called the American Workforce Academy. The program is designed to train data center technicians. After completing a five-week training course, participants are guaranteed a job at any of Meta's campuses.

Earlier this year, U.S. home improvement retailer Lowe's announced it would invest $250 million over the next decade to help train 250,000 skilled tradespeople in fields like plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work. "In a world where AI is accelerating, administrative and analytical roles will become increasingly dominant," said Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison at the time. "We believe that in the near future, initiatives focused on skilled trades will become even more critical."