NE Fla teens explore careers that rely on human skills, not AI

As artificial intelligence modernizes the workplace, two Jacksonville nonprofits are working together to introduce youth to old-school careers, albeit with a high-tech twist.

At a recent Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida event at Orange Park High School, WareWorks Skilled Trades Institute of Jacksonville brought a mobile learning lab with up to 12 interactive career simulations. Via simulators and virtual reality, youth could test out truck driving, welding, aviation, crane operation, agricultural drone technology and lineman jobs, which rely on human skills and craftsmanship.

Such jobs remain necessary to the economy, are in high demand and focus on hands-on expertise. They don't necessarily rely on AI, but, in some cases, AI has improved

how they function.

“Through hands-on exposure, students can discover careers that match their interests and abilities and learn how to begin preparing for them," WareWorks CEO Karen Bowling said. "AI is making many trades safer and more efficient, but it is also changing the skills employers need. Workforce development must evolve with those changes while continuing to emphasize the human expertise, craftsmanship and hands-on problem-solving that technology cannot easily replace."

Paul Martinez, CEO of the area Boys & Girls Club, agreed.

"We see AI as an opportunity to close opportunity gaps, not widen them," he said. "By introducing young people to artificial intelligence in a safe and responsible way, we’re preparing them for careers that may not even exist today. Workforce readiness is no longer just about reading, writing and math, it’s about digital literacy, critical thinking and learning how to work alongside technology."

Trying out careers via simulators, virtual reality

At the WareWorks event at the Orange Park High club, member Nicholas Mitchell took the wheel of a big rig, on a big rig simulator.

"I've been inspired by trucking since I was little. I always wanted to do truck driving, mainly big trucks," he said.

Fellow club member Jeremiah Davis tried his hand at welding, virtual reality welding.

"I come from a family of welders," he said, adding that he wants to be a travel welder, which would allow him to see the world.

Nicholas, Jeremiah and other members of the school's Boys & Girls Club also heard all about the financial benefits of such vocational careers.

"People with skilled trades going directly from high school are making twice the money of a four-year degree person," WareWorks Coach Antrinell Lamar told them. "Proven fact."

Also, they don't enter the workplace with college student debt, he said.

Northeast Florida's Boys & Girls Clubs provide summer camps and afterschool and leadership development programs for about 5,500 young people daily in Alachua, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Five of the club sites, including Orange Park High, were among the seven stops on the institute's Try-A-Trade summer tour.

The visits were part of the area clubs' burgeoning partnership with WareWorks, according to Martinez. Three of the clubs' seven teen centers — at Orange Park High and in Jacksonville at Ed White High and in Springfield — will soon have WareWorks programs and skilled trades labs "as part of their Boys & Girls Clubs experience," he said.

The recent mobile learning lab tour served as a pilot program, allowing students to experience a variety of skilled trades while helping us better understand which career pathways generated the greatest interest. Those insights are now helping guide the programming, curriculum and simulation equipment that will be installed at each location.

"These centers will continue providing the high-quality Boys & Girls Clubs programming our members know, while expanding opportunities through dedicated skilled trades labs where teens can explore different careers, discover what interests them and learn what education or training they will need to enter those fields after graduation," Martinez said. "Having the mobile lab visit our clubs was a natural extension of that partnership and an exciting way to introduce students to what will be possible at these locations."

The "hands-on" nature of the mobile learning lab is key, he said.

"Young people cannot pursue careers they have never had the opportunity to see or experience," Martinez said. "Watching a student try welding, crane operation or another trade for the first time and suddenly realize, 'I could do this,' is incredibly meaningful.

"Our role is to help young people recognize their potential and understand that there are many different paths to a successful future," he added. "Experiences like this can plant a seed that influences the decisions they make throughout high school and beyond."

The history behind WareWorks

WareWorks was founded in December 2025 as a workforce development organization serving Northeast Florida. The nonprofit supports existing workforce efforts and develops programs to expand career pathways in skilled trades.

Founder Chris Ware built The Ware Group from a single HVAC supply operation into a regional company with more than 40 locations, Bowling, former chief administrative officer for Mayor Donna Deegan, said.

"Across Florida and the nation, employers continue to report shortages in many skilled trades, making career awareness and workforce development increasingly important for students and local industries," she said. "Chris Ware … saw firsthand how difficult it was for contractors and other employers to find enough technically trained workers."

He also recognized that many people, particularly young people, were unaware of the rewarding, high-demand careers available in the skilled trades or didn't know how to enter them, she said.

Ware established WareWorks to "bring partners and resources together, help people understand the opportunities available and create clearer pathways from career exploration to training and employment," Bowling said. "The goal is to make the process of entering a skilled trade easier to understand and navigate."

Sponsored by TECO Energy, this summer's tour was WareWorks’ first mobile skilled trades lab pilot. The lab itself was borrowed from the Georgia affiliate of Be Pro Be Proud, a nationwide workforce development initiative. Now the Jacksonville nonprofit is working to partner with Be Pro Be Proud to acquire its own mobile skills lab, potentially this fall.

The lab would initially serve high school students throughout Northeast Florida and later expand to other parts of the state, Bowling said.

During this summer's tour, about 700 young people learned about skilled trades.

"It is at the heart of why WareWorks exists. There are excellent career opportunities in the skilled trades, but too many students graduate without ever being introduced to them," Bowling said. "When we see a student discover a talent or interest they did not know they had, we see a future beginning to take shape."

In addition to the Boys & Clubs, WareWorks has youth-based partnerships with theUniversity of North Florida, the Northeast Florida Builders Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, SkillsUSA and other employers, training providers and community organizations.

A mission and future for young people

"This work is not simply about filling workforce shortages. It is about helping young people see that they have options and connecting them with a realistic pathway to a stable, rewarding career. If we can help a young person move from 'I have never thought about that' to 'I can see myself doing this,' then we have begun to accomplish our mission," Bowling said.

WareWorks recently launched an online resource to help students, as early as ninth grade, explore not only skilled trade options but employment. The Career Pathway Platform features an assessment to identify trades that match students' interests and abilities, as well as salary ranges and required education, training or certifications for particular fields. The platform is atwareworksfl.com.

Another new WareWorks launch is Trade Up, a community initiative developed with News4JAX to raise awareness of area skilled trades careers. Weekly stories will spotlight local professionals, students, employers and workforce programs, Bowling said.

For more information about WareWorks, go to wareworksfl.com.

Beth Reese Cravey has been a reporter for The Florida Times-Union for 45 years, currently specializing in nonprofits and health. She can be reached at [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: NE Fla teens explore careers that rely on human skills, not AI