Ford CEO says his Gen Z son is choosing hands-on work: ‘He feels like that’s more fulfilling than doing summer school at some fancy college’ |
Ford CEO says his Gen Z son is choosing hands-on work: ‘He feels like that’s more fulfilling than doing summer school at some fancy college’
Jim Farley has one of the most recognizable names in American business. But when it comes to the question millions of parents are quietly asking around the dinner table—is college really worth it?—Ford’s CEO says his own household is no exception.
In an exclusive interview with Fortune, Farley revealed that his son has chosen to spend the summer working as a fabricator in North Carolina rather than taking summer classes. “He feels like that’s more fulfilling than doing summer school at some fancy college,” Farley said. “I think that’s ironic and also a bit satisfying—that we’re rediscovering the value of these jobs that indeed powered all of us to go to college.”
The comment isn’t Farley’s first on the subject. Last October, Fortune reported on Ford’s Pro Accelerate summit about his son’s skepticism about a four-year degree — surprising him by saying he had just had a fulfilling summer working as a mechanic and adding, “I don’t know why I need to go to college.” Farley has also talked about how he has deliberately structured his son’s summers around hands-on trades work—welding, fabricating, working with his hands.
When told that the story seems to be resonating, Farley said he wasn’t surprised. “The job market’s not easy for young college graduates,” he told Fortune this week. “If you’re a parent of a college graduate, you’re asking the same question that our household is—what’s going to become of our kids and their careers?”
He’s not wrong that the cultural tide is shifting. A November 2025 NBC News poll found that 63% of Americans now say a four-year degree is “not worth the cost”—up from 47% in 2017. Gen Z is acting on that skepticism: Between 2011 and 2023, roughly 2 million fewer students enrolled in four-year universities, and in the first quarter of 2024, Gen Z made up nearly 25% of all new hires in skilled trades. A February 2026 survey found 60% of Gen Zers plan to pursue skilled-trade work this year.
America’s truck for the essential economy
The personal anecdote comes as Farley has made the so-called “essential economy”—the tradespeople, fabricators, electricians, and welders who keep the country running—a central pillar of his tenure at Ford. On May 7, the company unveiled the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt Special Edition, a co-branded work truck built in partnership with the 130-year-old Detroit workwear giant. It was less a product reveal than a celebration of the people who actually use the truck to run their businesses,........