In recent years, tech giants and established firms have laid off workers amid a slowing global economy. Hiring freezes and stagnant wages have further dampened prospects, leading many young people to reconsider the conventional corporate path.
Some are now turning to blue-collar industries, once dismissed as backup options, for stability, fulfilment, and growth. Vulcan Post spoke to two blue-collar workers in their 20s about their experiences in the industry and whether working in the industry is as easy as it sounds.
He built a repair company from scratch with his brother at just 16
Even at a young age, Zames Chew and his younger brother, Amos, knew that the corporate path wasn’t for them. Growing up, the brothers loved solving problems with their hands and minds, and preferred working on things that are more active and dynamic.
So naturally, becoming handymen made sense, and Zames started Repair.sg with Amos at just the tender age of 16. And even almost a decade later, both brothers continue to have a passion for their work.
“The challenges we faced on a day-to-day never felt like work in the traditional sense, it was enjoyable and felt like working on a fun project with my brother,” added Zames.
Building up their skills took a lot of trial and error, though. In the early days, Zames and Amos leaned on YouTube tutorials, breaking more than a few lightbulbs before mastering the trade. Instead of hiding their mistakes, they owned up and made things right—an approach that won over customers wary of unreliable handymen.
“You are stepping into someone’s home or business, and they are trusting you not just to solve the problem, but to respect their space, explain clearly what you are doing, and overall give them peace of mind,” said Zames.
Now at 25 years old, he holds licenses for air-conditioning and electrical work, and is working towards being a fully licensed plumber.
He found a deskbound job draining, so he pivoted to plumbing
Yiah Zhu Cheng, also known as Kash, came to a similar realisation during his polytechnic internship. Although he worked from the comfort of his home, the former media student found typing at his desk for hours incredibly draining, and he deemed himself unsuitable for a deskbound job.
Then came the opportunity to switch tracks to plumbing.
Utilising his contacts in the industry, the 25-year-old completed a plumbing and pipefitting course at the Building & Construction Academy and is currently serving a two-year apprenticeship at a local firm.
After his apprenticeship, he will prepare for an interview with the Public Utilities Board. If he passes that, he’ll have to attend another mentorship program, along with assessments, before acquiring the plumber license. However, according to Kash, this is a feat that only a fraction of trainees will qualify for in each cohort.
“[My boss] mentioned that with enough hard work and experience, it is achievable. However, this proves to be more difficult for me due to my lack of experience and prior knowledge,” he added.
And that’s just one of the many challenges that Kash had to overcome.
Dealing with scepticism & stigma
As seniors traditionally dominate the blue-collar industry, Kash felt that he had to earn the respect of his older colleagues, who valued experience and grit above paper qualifications.
Coming from a background in media and business, he added that he lacked the practical skills that his seniors had. Despite that, Kash did not feel discouraged and continued to build on his skills.
Zames also faced similar levels of scepticism, this time from customers, who often doubted or underestimated him due to his age. In hindsight, though, he shared that it came from his own internalised insecurity.
“The only way I knew how to handle it was by doing great work and keeping my word,” said Zames. But through humility and grit, he could earn the trust of customers.
Blue-collar work still carries a stigma, often seen as less respectable than white-collar jobs. Zames acknowledged this perception persists, while Kash, on the other hand, chose to dismiss it.
For him, pride comes from doing essential, physically demanding work that few of his peers would take on. “I believe stigmas only affect those who are easily swayed. If you have a clear end goal, the stigma becomes nothing more than background noise.”
Industry stands strong against AI, but has a lower starting pay
Recently, there has been a rise in diploma and degree holders joining the construction and plumbing industry in Singapore, in light of AI disrupting and replacing multiple roles in the corporate world. As a result, the blue-collar industry has gained favour among fresh graduates.
According to Zames, the specialised nature of jobs can offer stability as the work is less vulnerable to technological disruption. “Regardless of market trends or even technological changes, people will always need their homes and workplaces to function safely and properly.”
Kash added that the unpredictability of the construction industry makes it challenging for AI to adapt to many unforeseen circumstances that often occur on the ground.
For example, even if one programs an AI to install a pipeline based on a blueprint, the path might be obstructed by other components like electrical wiring or air conditioning ducts. To make things more complicated, regulations might restrict certain turns or configurations.
“These on-site complexities require creative problem solving, which is something that current AI systems struggle to understand or adapt to effectively,” explained Kash.
Repair.sg has since performed repair services at residential homes, as well as at big-name establishments such as HaiDiLao and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Despite this, Zames shared that the business’s profit margins are not as high as one expects, especially after factoring in labour, transport, insurance, tools and advertising costs.
“I personally have friends running similar blue-collar businesses making a few million in profit each year. But these are the exceptions and not the norm,” he clarified.
Kash also pointed out that most plumbers are involved in small-scale renovation projects and door-to-door repair work. That said, participating in larger-scale projects like the construction of industrial buildings can bring in significantly higher revenue, which can range from S$1 million to over S$100 million, depending on the scale.
According to Kash, the salary that one can earn as a plumber ranges from around S$3,000 to S$7,000. But since the role doesn’t require a degree, the starting pay might be lower than in some white-collar jobs.
“However, with experience and dedication, I believe one can earn just as much, if not more than a corporate worker,” he added.
Working in the blue-collar industry is not a convenient solution, but with passion, achieving success is possible
Both 25-year-olds also believe that more can be done for the industry. Zames aims to change the public’s perception of handymen, making it less risky to call for their services, despite the horror stories people often experience, by asking someone dependable who will do a proper job.
As for Kash, he hopes that more flexible regulations can broaden the hiring pool for construction companies, as it poses a significant challenge for overall business scalability.
Zames and Kash’s journeys show that stepping into the trade isn’t a clean or convenient career switch—it requires getting your hands dirty. Yet, their choice to pursue blue-collar work stems less from practical necessity, but from passion.
For this new generation of tradesmen, fulfilment lies not in typing away in office cubicles, but in the satisfaction of building, fixing, and leaving behind work that lasts.
- Read more stories we’ve written on the latest job trends here.
Featured Image Credit: Repair.sg/ Yiah Zhu Cheng
