Mike Rowe Explains The Skills Gap In USA Education System

Over the last 8 years of shooting Discovery Channels Hit show, Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe became increasingly concerned over the skills gap in the United States.
Each year millions of skilled trade jobs go unfilled as our country continues to push a traditional 4 year degree.
In an effort to change the tide, he created the Mike Rowe Works Foundation and now Profoundly Disconnected.
Listen as Mike explains the growing skills gap and the need for skilled workers in the United States.
On Labor Day of 2008, fans of Dirty Jobs built mikeroweWORKS, a trade resource center and non-profit foundation designed to reinvigorate the Skilled Trades. Profoundly Disconnected is the next phase of that effort. My goal here is to challenge the absurd belief that an expensive four-year education is the best path for the most people, and confront the outdated stereotypes that continue to drive kids and parents away from a whole list of worthwhile careers. Many of the best opportunities that exist today require a skill, not a diploma. The purpose of this site is to promote that simple truth. And maybe have a few laughs.
Mike Rowe once gave a TED Talk on the Changing Face of the Modern-Day Proletariat, and in May 2011, he testified before the U.S. SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE about the importance of changing perceptions and stereotypes around blue-collar work. Currently, Mike and Caterpillar are working together to launch PROFOUNDLY DISCONNECTED, a new initiative focused on technical recruitment.
www.MikeRoweWorks.com
www.ProfoundlyDisconnected.com

[@scottouellette9411]

My brother and I went 4yrs. trade school and graduated. I went for plumbing and pipefitting he went for electrican. That was back in the early 70's. We both become licensed masters in our respected trades.We went union and made really good money 100,000+yearly. Today we co-own a small mechanical contractor business. The money is phenomenal we get to choose what jobs we want and what we don't want.Plenty of work no layoffs we do work others don't want to do and get top pay for it. Bottom line if you like to work not afraid of getting dirty licensed trades will always be in demand. GOODLUCK

[@heidihickey4104]

As a now retired female I can say I don't really regret not going on to college. Granted I struggled with lower paying jobs blah blah. I found different ways to get to do what I wanted through volunteering and getting groups together to Scuba dive etc. When I was at the tender age of 47, I went to a temp agency and started working for Honda. After 3 1/2 years as a temp, I was hired as a permanent associate. I was then almost 51. I have white hair and I'm a grandmother, and still they hired me! All they wanted is for someone willing to learn and to show up for work. It's not a glamorous job and you get sore a sweat EVERY day. But you know what? I was proud of myself for sticking it out for 10 years. I made great friends and earned a pension and retired at 62. I retired to care for my disabled husband who couldn't do it anymore. He needed a lot more help. And my point is...there is nothing wrong with working hard for a decent living. I'm so glad I did this...it was a great experience and I am proud to have worked at Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio!

[@Raiken202]

I remember how my high school use to have a woodworking class. It's being gone of a number of years now. I would have loved to tried it back then. Definitely the trade arts are disappearing in schools.

[@dkeith45]

Ours did too. But they did not teach any practical skills. Lots of book learning and little hands on training. Many of the shop classes could not find teachers because teachers with those skills were able to make better money doing the actual trade than teaching students.

[@theron1072]

THERE IS NO SKILLS GAP! There is a competency gap between competent HR/Hiring Managers and HOW they "hire". They want the Perfect candidate; one who has thousands of dollars worth of training (that they expect other companies to foot the bill for; whilst they benefit from it), won't pay any relocation and want anyone "worthy" of their attention to have all the right experience and certifications (i.e. MUST have 2 years experience inseminating large albino cows). It is ridiculous!!!!

[@jacobg6628]

A little exaggerated, but not wrong. I think there is definitely a mix. No one is learning trade skills and employers are only looking for people that have the skill set. So the question arise, of how you get an experienced workforce when new workers can't gain experience because they're not hired over a lack of experience? Now we need 200,000 more workers to fill the increase in construction jobs, while the baby-boomers that make up the majority of the workforce are all getting set to retire. Are millennials not skilled enough in labor? Are companies too picky about the level of skill to be expected out of the pipeline? I don't know enough to say. All I know is we didn't the fire; it was always burning since the world was turning.

[@abcdef-kx2qt]

WHAT ABOUT WAGE SLAVE MASTERS LEADERS OF LOW BALLING PAY RATES. ** TRAFFICKING LOW WAG LIES AND WORKERS ***

[@matthewmann865]

Go Mike! I like how he's using his already familiar face in the public eye to talk about this issue.

[@andrewr7982]

I think the shortage comes from the workers. I went into IT but originally wanted to go into a trade. But all heard from trades men were the long hours, back breaking work, and poor pay. I didn't here anything positive about the trades from trades men and it drove me away.

[@ricardop9196]

Bojo David good choice

[@walperstyle]

I have a highschool education. Went from working in a bank at $35,000 year to an oilfield job that pays $80,000/year. After 7 years in the oil and gas industry, I now do consulting and make upwards of $120,000 a year. These are things they don't teach in school... but, if I went back to school tomorrow, I would go in for Geologist, Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, while taking electives like Welding and Robotics.

[@chrishardy3473]

walperstyle bet the tax on that 120 is brutal... whats your takehome? 6,000

[@abcdef-kx2qt]

WHAT ABOUT WAGE SLAVE MASTERS LEADERS OF LOW BALLING PAY RATES. ** TRAFFICKING LOW WAG LIES AND WORKERS ***

[@Tqtrpiypuu]

Exactly show me the money I'll show you the skills

[@abcdef-kx2qt]

LOS ANGELES 1 15 2019 LOOK - I say the pay is too low to live in this city and the skills level they expect. Manufacturing CNC Machine Operator (Entry level and advanced) ($15-25hr) CNC Machine Operator/Set up Supervisor ($25-35hr) General Labor ($12-13hr) Deburring ($16hr) Picking & Packing ($13.25hr) Soldering (Entry Level) ($16hr) Commercial Drivers (Class A. B and C) ($13-$19hr) Assembly ($16hr) Final Inspection ($15hr) Maintenance Mechanic ($15-25hr) Hot Head Operator ($17-19hr) Forklift Operators ($14-16hr) Administration Payroll Assistant ($20-25hr) Jr. Buyer ($25-27hr) Accounting Specialist ($45-50k) ISO Internal Auditor (DOE) File Clerk ($14-15hr) Bi-Lingual Receptionist ($13-15hr) Graphic Designer ($21-22hr)

[@dkeith45]

I grew up in the same era. I recall in my town in NW Indiana, in 1979, decent jobs were scarce. Even though we lived in 'Chicagoland'. Our HS had a welding shop, with no teacher, because the teachers with that skill were able to make more money working as welders than as teachers. We had an auto shop, where they did not teach you hands on training, but rather how to read auto repair books. THey also lacked enough shop teachers because auto mechanics made better money working as mechanics than they could as teachers. We had a machine shop and there were teachers there, but no jobs waiting for students in that trade. I knew HS grads that went on to a two year trade school for the machine shop trade, and none were able to get jobs after, even the ones at the top of their class. Even in 1979 we were not taught practical skills. I do recall though that many of us considered those entering jobs at the steel mills to be 'mill rats', IE jobs that were beneath us. Only a couple years later, in the early 1980's those same kids would have killed to get a mill job, as there were no jobs available at all. We have this boom and bust society and every time there's a bust, workers with skills no longer marketable are forced to move away or do other jobs. Then the boom starts again and those skilled workers are no longer there and the job creators refuse to train new workers or make provisions for living quarters to attract workers from out of the area.

[@Membrane556]

True there is shortage of skilled blue collar workers esp ones who are not drug users. As for pay a good CNC machinist or oil worker can often make a lot more then someone in an office position while working a lot shorter hours.

[@truthseek3017]

Membrane556 LOL! Ok child

[@rstrid5505]

@mba2ceo And thank you for demonstrating why we are in the mess we are in right now with hundreds of thousands of unfilled, good paying jobs in the trades. Meanwhile we are graduating an extreme amount of kids kid from college who can't find jobs. trying doing a little research instead of swallowing bs perpetuated by the attitude that college = $, trades = suffereing

[@danhowell3574]

These companies need to pay for the training. They want other companies to train the employees, so that they can get cheap labor. Companies need to step up, recruit, pay good salaries, and respect the employees.

[@krispybeats6615]

i love mike and i loved dirty jobs, one of my favorite shows. and caterpillar boots are fucking nice ! :)

[@unleashedrider4309]

It's a wage gap not a skills gap

[@mohammadmahfuz9310]

how?

[@unleashedrider4309]

@@mohammadmahfuz9310 bc when my parents generation worked they didn't need to go to college to do most the jobs that now they want college degrees for.

[@thomaswest8639]

I work a blue collar job I have a son I’m tell him do not do what I do for a living low pay and you are taken advantage all the time by society and the company you work for

[@RogerWareInc]

SKILLED Blue Collar job. An entry level warehouse job isn't what he meant by skills.

[@yoga1yoga1]

Indeed there is an academic rust belt and where are the women? Also beauty changes lives.

[@HarmoniousInNature]

For over ten years now there has been a shortage of good qualified machinist, schools today as so geared up to push kids into college where they can be further indoctrinated into the government way of thinking. In the not so distant future this country will be in serious trouble because there will not be any machinist or mechanics to keep the manufacturing plants running, what then?

[@dkeith45]

I think one never knows, if the jobs skills needed NOW are going to be needed Tomorrow. I went to a two year trade school in 1980 to learn the machine tool trade. We even had a new fangled CNC class. In 1982 none of us were able to find jobs. Not even the super sharp guys at the top of the class. Not even entry level positions working as laborers. I had to move out of the area and eventually became a carpenter, because there was on the job training. Those days at the machine shop trade school were totally wasted. And this was in the Chicago area. You could only get those sort of jobs if you knew someone or had a relative in the trade already that could get you in. I imagine it has not changed much today.

[@abcdef-kx2qt]

@@dkeith45 > WHAT ABOUT WAGE SLAVE MASTERS - LEADERS OF LOW BALLING PAY RATES. ** TRAFFICKING LOW WAG LIES AND WORKERS ***

[@mba2ceo]

I highly doubt that !!! $120 K & uneducated ?

[@mba2ceo]

ya ... jobs NO ONE skilled wants ;)

[@shannonconley5316]

POV

[@walperstyle]

Welcome to the oil and gas industry.

[@BradPitbull]

1 hillary supporter disliked this video TRUMP NATION MIKE ROWE V.P.