A 15-Yr-Old Barber & A 26-Yr-Old Handyman — Why Are More S'porean Gen Zs Choosing Blue-Collar Jobs?

In Singapore, it’s long been assumed that the path to success involves doing well in school, earning a degree, and climbing the corporate ladder. But with rising burnout, tougher competition in the job market, and the rapid rise of AI, more Gen Zs are turning to blue-collar careers that offer steady income while still giving them the freedom to pursue their passions.

In a recent episode of Gen Z Crash Course, hosts Gao Mei Gui and Joey Tay meet two young Singaporeans who have chosen exactly that path.

First up is 15-year-old Ngee Ann Secondary School student Rizqy, who works as a professional barber at Limpeh Barbershop.

Explaining how he first got into the trade, Rizqy says: “AI is taking over the world, so I wanted to learn a skill that [AI cannot replace]. I was scrolling TikTok one day and ended up buying my first pair of clippers from Carousell. I forced my brother [to let me try it on him], and after that, I decided to check out the shop [I work at now].”

After saving his first S$1,000, Rizqy realised he could turn his hobby into a real career and decided to pursue it more seriously.

“I like to take on more hands-on work, and it’s a respectable job that is also useful,” he says, adding that he believes barbering is safe from AI because “it requires a lot of detailing,” something he feels robots will struggle to replicate.

Then we have 26-year-old Zames Chew and his younger brother, Amos, who chose to become handymen right after graduating from polytechnic. Instead of pursuing degrees, the brothers jumped straight into entrepreneurship — and are now co-founders of a company with more than 20 staff.

Zames first conceived the idea of starting a repair services business when he was just 16. Fresh out of his O-Levels and still underage, he had his father register the company on his behalf.

Nine years on, their company, Repair.sg — which offers handyman, plumbing, electrical, pest control and air-conditioning services — recorded S$1.7 million in revenue in 2024.

Zames shares: "Since young, we've always enjoyed fixing things, taking things apart, doing things that requires both our minds and our hands and so we [decided] to try and do something together."

"It was nothing like what it is today, but we took it step by step from there," he continues, adding that their parents were supportive of their choices, though they worried when they realised the brothers had no plans to continue with school.

When they first started, both Zames and Amos learned repair skills by watching YouTube tutorials. Over time, they took courses at institutions such as Singapore Polytechnic and BCA Academy to deepen their professional expertise and better serve customers.

Recalling their early struggles, Amos shares: "On a month-to-month basis, [our income] was fluctuating up and down. Sometimes, we didn't even know whether this business was viable, and there were times we thought of giving up."

It took years before the business turned profitable, but passion drove them forward — along with the satisfaction they found in building something of their own.

"We wanted to be able to sort of control our own destiny," Amos adds.

When asked whether blue-collar jobs are more “future proof” than white-collar roles, Zames says: "I think there's some truth to that saying, however, I think it's important to point out that it's not necessarily whether it's blue-collar or white-collar. If the work you do simply follows a step-by-step process and you’re just supplying a unit of labor, it’s more likely to be replaced by AI."

Amos adds his perspective: "A lot of young people are a lot more entrepreneurial now compared to 10, 20, years ago, so even in the blue-collar space, we are seeing some younger folks finding it more fulfilling, so that's great."

You can catch the full episode of Gen Z Crash Course on YouTube, or watch it below.