The education sector of the US stock market has "changed"! AI "eliminates" white-collar workers, and capital turns to embrace blue-collar workers.

With the increasing concern over the large-scale replacement of white-collar jobs by artificial intelligence (AI), the concept stocks of vocational schools, which were once unpopular and sluggish, have now become hot targets in the capital market. In the past six months, the stock price of Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC.US) has surged by 71%, while its competitor, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI.US), has risen by 7% during the same period. In contrast, the stock prices of the three mainstream education institutions - Phoenix Education Partners (PXED.US), Perdoceo Education (PRDO.US), and Strategic Education (STRA.US) - have averaged a decline of 17%, indicating a significant industry differentiation trend. Analysts point out that the for-profit education sector is showing a polarized trend, with the key reason being the rapid spread of AI in the workplace. From programmers to legal assistants, many white-collar positions face the risk of technological substitution, while practical blue-collar skill positions such as HVAC installation and welding have relatively limited impact from AI and are more resistant to substitution. Analyst Alexander Paris of Barrington Research Associates Inc. said, "For the past half century, American parents have generally advised their children not to work in trade jobs like automotive repair, and to pursue a college education. But now, this traditional mindset has been completely reversed." The policies of the Trump administration have further boosted the CECO Environmental Corp. sector. By promising to promote the reshoring of manufacturing jobs and strongly supporting vocational skill education - including reallocating special funds from Ivy League schools and directing support to the vocational education industry through a series of impactful measures. Independent education analyst Ariel Sokol mentioned in a research communication that as social recognition of skilled occupations continues to rise, vocational technical schools have expanded their campuses and increased enrollment, leading to strong revenue growth. Data shows that Lincoln Educational Services Corporation saw a staggering 18% increase in revenue last year, while Universal Technical Institute, Inc. saw a 14% increase in revenue. Currently, the price-to-earnings ratios of these two vocational education companies are significantly higher than those of traditional academic education peers. "I myself can't say for sure whether the job I am currently doing will still exist in ten years," Sokol said frankly, "but you will still need HVAC repair technicians."