I should have been clearer, but by "blue collar" I was thinking more argriculture and manufacturing. Most of the farm jobs are gone from automation and most of the factory jobs are gone to China.
You're right that the trades are still an option and one my daughter is seriously considering. It's a mixed bag. Those jobs still exist, pay decently, and aren't likely to be taken away by AI soon. But many of them are brutal on your body and the sexism is rampant.
