Working-age men face a concerning pattern, according to Mike Rowe; he advocates for vocational trades as a potential solution.
It's no secret that Mike Rowe, TV personality and boss man at the MikeRoweWorks Foundation, is passionate about the skilled trades—and he's not hiding his excitement that Generation Z seems to be catching on, too! During an appearance on "Varney & Co.," Mike sounded the alarm on a daunting issue: a staggering number of working-age men are out of the workforce, and Mike's not okay with it.
According to economist, Nicholas Eberstadt, more than 7 million men of prime working age have opted out of the labor force entirely, and Mike believes this problem is being exacerbated by an overemphasis on traditional higher education. Don't get him wrong, Mike's all for education—but for the many open trade positions that require hands-on, technical skills, a four-year degree simply doesn't cut it.
As the host of "Dirty Jobs," Mike's got a front-row seat to the crisis faced by industries like manufacturing, maritime, and automotive, struggling to fill their ranks with skilled workers. The solution, according to Mike, is to recognize that skilled trades like electricians, plumbers, steamfitters, welders, and pipefitters aren't just valuable; they're indispensable.
"The four-year degrees are trending down in that cohort," Mike said, referring to Gen Z. "There's a lot more interest in electricians, and plumbers, and steamfitters, and welders and pipefitters."
So, why the shift? The stats don't lie: four-year degrees are on the decline among Gen Z, with a growing interest in the trades instead. And in Mike's humble opinion, this Rise of the Blue-collar Brigade is not only promising, but essential to the country's long-term economic health.
But this isn't just about individual career prospects. Mike's raring to spark a cultural change, encouraging society to support those who want to pursue skilled trades and putting a stop to the pressure cooker of expectations that steers every student into academia, regardless of their interests or aptitudes.
"We're still pushing a lot of kids toward a very expensive path, while the skills gap widens," Mike warned. "The skills gap is real, but there's a will gap as well."
It's high time to Recognize the Creatures of the Craft: Gen Z. By valuing and nurturing the trades, we can bridge the skills gap and help steer the U.S.—and ourselves—toward a brighter future.
- Mike Rowe, the CEO of MikeRoweworks Foundation, believes that the current trend of Generation Z choosing trade jobs over college is a promising solution to the ongoing skills gap issue in industries like manufacturing, maritime, and automotive.
- According to Mike, the shift towards trades among Gen Z is supported by declining four-year degree trends and a growing interest in skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers, steamfitters, welders, and pipefitters.
- Mike Rowe is advocating for a cultural change, challenging society to support and value the trades, and to stop pressuring students into academia regardless of their interests or aptitudes, especially in the peacetime economic climate.
- By valuing and nurturing the trades, Mike Rowe intends to encourage Gen Z to bridge the skills gap and contribute to a brighter future for the country and its workforce, particularly in light of the ongoing challenges faced by many sectors in the economy.
