You’ve heard of white-collar work and blue-collar work, but what are new-collar jobs? Traditional hiring practices are undergoing a significant transformation with novel technology emerging to reshape how we look at employment. Skill-based new-collar jobs signal the arrival of an updated category of workers who don’t necessarily hold traditional college degrees, but still have certain technical skills acquired through non-traditional channels. The rise of new-collar opportunities implies a shift in how the job market categorizes talent, opening unexpected doors for a distinct category of workers.

From an HR standpoint, new-collar jobs represent an opportunity to broaden talent pools. They represent a chance to build a more resilient organization that capitalizes on the unique capabilities of aspiring candidates who have an unusual but versatile background to shape how they work.

What Are New-Collar Jobs? Understanding the Evolution of the Job Market

Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, has been credited for coining the term and bringing the concept of new-collar work into the limelight, and the concept has, more recently, caught on as an apt description of the evolution of work. The new-collar workforce trends refer to the rise of highly skilled positions that don’t require a traditional four-year college degree.

These roles prioritize practical skills, both technical and soft skills, and are acquired through non-traditional pathways such as vocational training, certifications, boot camps, apprenticeships, self-taught learning projects, and other similar channels that don’t overlap with college. Creating a clear link between blue-collar and white-collar work, new-collar jobs allow competencies to triumph over credentials. The term is not a new one, but its relevance is more evident than ever in today’s context.

How Do You Define New-Collar Work?

There are several defining traits that employees curious about new-collar work need to understand about this segment:

• Skills over degrees are a defining trait of new-collar work, where the capabilities of employees with specialized technical abilities and soft skills take center stage
• Nontraditional education and training programs often lead to the development of necessary skills rather than elaborate college degrees
• Tech-driven industries are the leading adopters of new-collar workers, where the fast-paced fields benefit from their up-to-date insights and knowledge of the workers
• Potential for high-paying roles with low risks of automation makes this category of work all the more appealing for job seekers

In an AI-powered world, understanding of the technical intricacies of the technology is an obvious benefit for workers, but there are other skills, like adaptability, which are also of equal importance. It is important to note that the best new-collar careers aren’t exclusive to AI operations. There are many emerging positions in tech, healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, business, management, etc., where the concept of new-collar work has solidified.

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