‘Digital Masters’ Become the New Generation of Millionaires

The next generation of millionaires will be plumbers and electricians, stated recently Jensen Huang, the CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Nvidia. According to him, it is precisely the experts in deficit, skilled trades that will play an important role in creating the physical infrastructure that powers artificial intelligence, such as complex electrical installations and cooling systems in data centers that enable the operation of AI technologies. Huang says that young generations do not need to worry about their future jobs – there will be thousands of them.

However, there is one ‘catch’, which is that they must be willing to attend vocational schools, as the services of electricians and plumbers will be the most needed in the future.

– The segment of qualified craftsmen in every economy will experience a boom. You will need to double it every year – Huang stated during the announcement of Nvidia’s $100 billion investment in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for the development of data centers with Nvidia’s AI processors.

Total global capital investments in data centers across the industry could reach seven trillion (not billion) dollars by 2030, according to estimates by McKinsey. Such trends, of course, are only possible in the long term, but we decided to check how different skilled trades are in demand (and paid) today in Croatia, considering that there is often a wait of months for skilled services.

Stable Demand Due to Increased Supply

The numbers show that the demand for their services is currently stable, and in some places, it is slightly declining. The portal MojPosao highlights that a slight decline has been observed in recent years.

– When we look at the bigger picture, say over the past five years, we find that in 2021, there was double the demand for tilers compared to last year, and there were about 70 percent more ads for bricklayers. Interestingly, while these ‘classic’ construction profiles are in slight decline, the demand for electricians, auto mechanics, auto body repairers, and heating installers has been slightly increasing in recent years. However, overall, the labor market shows a slight but continuous decline in demand for skilled trades. One of the reasons is certainly the increase in the number of self-employed craftsmen. More and more craftsmen are opening their own workshops, transitioning into entrepreneurial waters – they state from the MojPosao portal.

On Njuškalo, they say, the number of ads for skilled services has also been stable over the past two years. There, the demand was somewhat higher in recent years than it is now.

– If we look at the same period, the first ten months of this and last year, the demand for craftsmen on Njuškalo was somewhat higher last year. On average, more than 40,000 users search for craftsmen on Njuškalo every month, and there is a noticeable pattern of increased demand at the beginning of the year, in the first five months – they say from Njuškalo, adding that employers, on the other hand, have been looking for construction workers on Njuškalo 45 percent more this year compared to the same period last year.

According to data from the Croatian Employment Service, from January to October 2025, the most sought-after professions in the labor market were locksmiths, bricklayers, and only then electricians and welders. In September, the highest number of unemployed were auto mechanics, locksmiths, and carpenters.

Thus, there is a higher demand for electricians and similar professions, but the total number of craftsmen offering skilled services is also increasing. This is confirmed by the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts. Citing data from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, they emphasize that in Croatia in September of this year, there were a total of 9,194 craftsmen – carpenters, electricians, plumbers, tilers, and auto mechanics, which is 627 craftsmen or 7.3 percent more than in September last year, and even 2,650 craftsmen or 40.5 percent more compared to September 2020.

They also add that there is a constant increase in enrollment in vocational programs for skilled trades in secondary schools, which are becoming increasingly popular.

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The Agency for Vocational Education and Adult Education also states that in recent years they have recorded a continuous increase in interest in acquiring micro-qualifications.

– These are, conditionally speaking, shorter educational programs through which participants acquire specific knowledge and skills for jobs that are in demand in the labor market, and a large part of them is precisely from the field of skilled trades. The interest of adult participants has significantly increased also due to the possibility of obtaining an educational voucher, which is awarded by the Croatian Employment Service for programs they assess as necessary for the labor market – they explain from ASOO.

Demanding Jobs, Higher Prices, and Salaries

Unlike other portals where craftsmen advertise, the number of inquiries for services on Trebam.hr in 2024 increased by one-fifth compared to 2023, and data for 2025 show a similar growth compared to last year, around 20 percent. The most sought-after services are construction carpentry (windows), painting works, electrical installations, roofing, tiling, plumbing works, facades, dry construction (Knauf), flooring, and excavations.

Based on their data, the prices of skilled services have risen significantly faster than general inflation in the last year or two. Tiling services have increased the most. Boris Upelj from Trebam.hr states that the average price of tile installation from 2023 in 2025 has practically become the lower market limit, with an increase of more than 20 percent.

– Electrical installations and plumbing services have increased by 15 to 20 percent in the same period, and a similar trend is recorded for other construction services, e.g., apartment adaptations, bathroom renovations, facades – Upelj adds.

On the other hand, according to data from the service MojaPlaća, salaries in skilled trades have increased on average by about eight percent compared to the same period last year, which is still a somewhat modest increase compared to the average for all professions in Croatia (around 12 percent). However, the highest salary increases were seen for workers in machinery and manufacturing, i.e., more complex professions.

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The increase in the cost of labor for craftsmen is quite expected. Inflation and more expensive materials have played their role, but the main reason is simple: there are not enough craftsmen. The demand for good craftsmen is enormous, and their ‘waiting lists’ are often long, sometimes several months. In such circumstances, it is quite natural for the cost of labor to rise. There are simply too few who know their job, and these are professions that cannot be easily automated, left to machines, or replaced by artificial intelligence. After years in which skilled trades were somewhat undervalued, craftsmen are now once again sought after, respected, and well-paid. In short, time has shown that ‘golden hands’ are indeed worth gold – conclude the MojPosao portal.

Digital Skills as a Foundation

Are the predictions of Nvidia’s director at the beginning of the text slowly coming true, that future millionaires will be craftsmen, not highly educated engineers who could be replaced by AI? According to Hrvoje Josip Balen, president of the HUP ICT Association, the point is not to choose between ‘craftsmen’ and ‘IT professionals’, but to develop digital competencies and advanced knowledge in all areas of education. Neither will skilled trades, he says, be ‘manual’ in the traditional sense anymore, but will increasingly use digital tools, 3D modeling, and automated processes.

However, he is sure that we will still need the human factor in, for example, the precise placement of ceramic tiles or jobs that cannot be automated.

– It is difficult to predict exactly what will happen given the rapid development of technology, but so far, all societies that have followed its development have been more successful and competitive than those that have not. Long-term, the world is moving towards a digital and automated economy, and digital skills are the foundation for almost every profession: whether it is office, technical, or skilled trades – believes Balen.

– Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly change the structure of jobs, but that does not mean that IT professions will disappear; they will evolve in the direction that we will need more and more experts for system management, data, and integration of AI solutions. With greater integration of digital into AI professions, the way skilled trades function will certainly change as well – he adds.

Still Deficient

According to user activity on Njuškalo, the demand for craftsmen is highest in the City of Zagreb, Zagreb County, Split-Dalmatia County, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Istria County, and Sisak-Moslavina County. Compared to the previous year, demand has increased the most in Osijek-Baranja County (+31 percent) and in Koprivnica-Križevci County (+19 percent).

And where the demand is highest, primarily in the wider area of Zagreb, there is also the greatest shortage of craftsmen, Upelj notes, especially for tile installation, bathroom renovations, PVC windows, roof construction, as well as cleaning and catering services.

– The shortage of roofers is noticeable throughout Croatia, and even more so in the region, e.g., in Slovenia. The islands are a special case, where the problems multiply: logistics – roads, ferries, weather conditions – and the high cost of accommodating workers cause craftsmen from the mainland to be reluctant to come, making the shortage of craftsmen even more pronounced. Because of this, as well as direct competition from tourism for the same resources, prices are higher, and deadlines are more uncertain – explains Upelj.

Therefore, it is important to emphasize that skilled trades are still deficient.

– Despite positive enrollment trends, at this moment, almost all skilled trades are deficient. Therefore, it is crucial to continue working on the educational system to meet the needs of the labor market – they state from HOK.

‘Digital Masters’

They also note that, as in entrepreneurship, one of the biggest challenges in craftsmanship is the workforce, but also the increasing need for digitalization.

– In today’s age, the most noticeable challenges are adapting to the accelerated technological development and the necessity of digitalization, various administrative barriers, unfair competition – performing unregistered activities, and support programs that are insufficiently tailored to the smallest business entities – they explain from HOK.

Balen sees digitalization as key, and Huang’s statements confirm that the new industrial revolution is happening not only in software but also in the physical world.

– AI needs electricity, cables, cooling, servers, and networks. Here we come to the key point: these ‘new electricians’ will also need to be digitally literate, understand how systems, automation, and data security work. Therefore, although the demand for technical and skilled profiles will grow, their role will change; they will become ‘digital masters’, a combination of practical and technological competencies. That is why it is important for the educational system not to view IT and craftsmanship as opposites, but to integrate digital skills into every profession. This is the direction in which advanced economies will move, and then Croatia, if we want to be part of that wave – Balen concludes.