OK, well, maybe more than one dysfunctional relationship but regarding its relationship with hard work? Well, as part of his interviews with CNN and CNN I-report today, Mike Rowe has something to say about that and goes on to talk about how skilled labor doesn’t get the respect it deserves.
Can we get an amen?
Read more CNN stuff HERE.
TV’s ‘Dirty Jobs’ host on PR duty – Watch the video here.
Cleaning up ‘Dirty Jobs’ – Read article here.
A day in the life: ‘Dirty Jobs’ host Mike Rowe goes to Washington – Watch CNN video here.
Mike talks to CNN I-Report
22 Comments
To Mike and his viewers, followers, readers,
I do not believe that there is a large skilled labor shortage but instead several conditions that when combined look like a skilled labor shortage.
First is the lack of labor mobility. If you have a mortgage it may not be as easy as it was 6 years ago to simple move for a new job. It can take 9-12 months to sell a house and if you are upside down on your mortgage, things are even more complicated and costly. So if you are a highly skilled machinist living in place A, and want to take a new job
in place B, it may be too difficult or too expensive to make the move to place B for the new/better job. The job may go unfilled or take a long time to fill.
Second, companies are cherry-picking and shopping for bargains. They want experts for the price of beginners. Additionally many have reduced or eliminated on-the-job training, so they no longer hire promising candidates and grow them in to positions. I know that in my field, software development (sorry, not a dirty job) many companies are trying to fill vacancies by only considering very experienced developers with very specific skills, yet only want to pay entry level wages. Even worse, they use the excuse of a labor shortage (since no highly experienced developer will work for entry-level wages, clearly there is a labor shortage!) to push for more H-1B work visas to bring low-wage workers from Asia. In the trades, the few companies I know of are looking to hire only very expert journeymen, and then back them up with minimum wage laborers. No more apprenticeships or on-the-job training.
When my kids were considering their career paths we discussed skilled labor and the trades. I taught my kids that having skilled trade and manufacturing sectors in the US was vital to our nation’s health and future fiscal well-being. BUT since companies were then and are still are moving jobs off-shore we discussed whether or not it was a wise use of their educational time and money to learn a skill or trade that they may never get to use, or that may be sent off-shore.
So in summary I think many people are stuck where they are, companies don’t want to pay for the skill unless they can get it 40% off and today’s kids aren’t all lazy but instead some are practical and they don’t want to train for a job/field that may not be there by the time they’re done with training.
T.B.
I am a potbellied pig hoof and tusk trimming service. Yes – an unusual vocation but one that I love. I came by this job in an unexpected way – 17 years ago my husband and I bought a potbellied piglet for a pet. Shortly after getting out pig, I became passionately involved in potbellied pig rescue. Fast forward a few years: still involved in rescue. The shortage of veterinarians that knew ANYTHING about these exotic pets compelled me to learn as much as I could about proper care for pbps, one of the most important being proper hoof care. The ONLY vet I could find would charge me upwards of a $1000 (yes, I said $1000 with three zeros) to trim my pig’s hooves. What this meant was that many pbps were not getting trimmed on a regular basis due to the prohibitive costs. I quickly learned how to trim my own pig’s hooves and also to help out fellow rescuers trims their pig’s hooves. I now have to use a young man to do the flipping and holding while I do the trimming, but with this modification I am able to keep doing what I love to do – help potbellied pigs.
Over the years I have had several young men serve as my flipper/holder. It’s not easy to find someone who is willing to do it – it’s not a 9 to 5 job in an air conditioned office – we get dirty, pooped on, peed on even sometimes. Most young people don’t want to do it – they are allergic to hard work and getting dirty and their attitudes indicate that they are “entitled” to a better job – a sad commentary on the youth of this country who will someday be in charge.
@ Eddie Spencer
“I’ll give you an example; three weeks ago, the company I work for put out a help-wanted add in the paper for laborers. We received zero applicants. None. Not a single one. The next weekend, we put out the add again. We recived four applicants (one of which never showed for the interview) and, later, extended job offers to three but none accepted. It’s as if people just don’t want to work for a living anymore.”
What is your company and what jobs were being offered?
I am an attorney who was lucky enough to land an entry level position. I think I’d still be unemployed (or have only part time work) three years out of law school if this didn’t come my way.
However, before I got this job, I applied in my home town back in California for a number of entry level laborer or service jobs just to be working doing anything at all. I don’t believe that in this economy no one at all applied for your company’s positions.
There was a sheet metal worker entry level position posted on craigslist in my hometown and when I showed up to apply there were over 25 people filling out applications, and that was only in the few minutes I was there. Every server, barback, clerical, retail job I applied to had AT LEAST ten people competing for one position.
Thanks Mike for being honest about what you see. Don’t ever enter the political arena. Something happens to politicians, where sound reasoning and thinking evaporate. Being able to relate to the little people [90% of Americans] is beyond their comprehension.
They “can’t” get it because the people that pay their entrance into office demand repayment, and intolerance to the rest of us. Kind of reminds me of the profession of prostitution. you get what you pay for.
I’m a 54 year old married man, raising 3 kids 13 and under in a hostile environment where they will have little hope.
Keep up the good work, keep speaking the truth!
Great job sir.
I’m a recent graduate, 24 years old, from a four year Electrical Engineering program in Alabama. I’ve been working with Hydroelectric dams in the southeast while I’ve been in college. I think one of the worst things to happen to trades is its like of , for the lack of a better word, publicity. Going through high school I never, ever heard of vocational schools or how to even start training in a trade. So, why would I seek one out? As I worked with tradesmen in my co-op, I started to wonder why I never thought to be a welder, or an electrician. Simple answer, I never even thought about it, my mom and dad were both office workers. All of my family and none were tradesmen. So, if I didn’t see it at home, or school, the only place for me to find out about it was work, when I was far to decided to change. I think that a campaign to really get kids with trades, real honest classes and experience not one you take to get the easy “a” in high school, would be the easiest and best way to revitalize the craftsmen profession that the country desperately needs.
Awareness leads to action.
Very well said Mike. I am a Machinist/Tool Maker and have spent more than 25 years working in manufacturing. I left manufacturing to teach, yes teach. I taught vocational education in Toledo, Ohio until budget cuts sent me out the door. No problem, I dusted off my tool box and went back to work in manufacturing making more money than I did teach high school. I am now the Director for Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship Training at a community college in Ohio working with apprenticeship programs, providing upgrade skills to journeyman, new skills to the unskilled but really want to work, workforce development, and I also sit on the state’s Apprenticeship Council. When I work with companies, they tell me the same thing you said; there are thousands of jobs with no workers with the skills to fill those positions.
The problem you addressed is real! The solution should be simple, but politicians and educators make the solution seem impossible. What needs to be done, as I stated earlier, is quite simple. First we need to have companies in every region step forward to say these are the skills we are looking for to fill open position and work with the community colleges, adult career centers, vocational schools, etc. to develop the training to deliver these skills. These perspective employers need to step up and commit to at least interview every completer of the training. Second, congress needs to beef up WIA funding, not cut it. One of the biggest road blocks you here from the unskilled unemployed are the lack of funds to help them get the necessary skills to fill the vacant positions. But before we begin to train those individuals we should look at providing the needed skills to existing employees that are working and move them up into the skilled jobs within their companies which in turn would create new entry level jobs.
Since you seem to have congress’ ear, feel free to take this plan to Washington (you can take the credit, I just want to see people get back to work) and see if they will listen. I have my doubts! Anyhow thanks for sharing your thoughts and let’s pray that someone will do something. By the way, I still do my own car repairs, and other such jobs, I actually like getting my hands dirty. It shows character. Oh before I forget, love the show.
Regarding Sean’s comment about trade programs in colleges…they’re great, don’t get me wrong. But they still COST money! The cost of post-secondary education (be it trade school, college, whatever) continues to rise while the amount of money we have to spend on education stays the same or drops due to rising cost of living. Why should we be the ones who have to pay to learn these trades? Why aren’t companies offering entry-level positions, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, etc.? All I see as far as skilled trade job postings go is “minimum 5 years experience” or the like. Everybody wants skilled laborers, but nobody seems to be willing to actually invest in promising candidates. I’ve been looking almost a YEAR now for a job (walked out on my last job in March because the employer treated their employees like trash and it really was better to just not work at all) and it’s the same thing every time…either I’m “not qualified” or “don’t have enough experience.” Tell me, how is one supposed to get precious experience and qualifications when nobody has any to offer? I am an intelligent, resourceful, independent and hard-working, but apparently that isn’t enough to make a company want to spend money to help turn me into a productive employee. They’d rather see that I’ve completed such-and-such certificate program and basically financially strangled myself with student loans for the next 20 years.
Thanks for speaking up Mike!
I work in the Nuclear industry and have experienced this problem first hand. Skilled trade workers are so hard to come by that several utilities in the US have started to develop training programs with local community colleges to teach the specific trades in need (welding, machining, electrical technicians, equipment operators, etc.). These are great programs and come with an almost guaranteed job, but we still have trouble getting people enrolled because of the attitude towards manual labor. Below is a link to an article on the programs with some information for anyone looking for a job and willing to get their hands dirty.
http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/publicationsandmedia/insight/insightjuly2010/colleges-adopt-nuclear-uniform-curriculum-to-train-workers
Yes Sir, hard work has not been “respected” for a long long time.
It seems the most respected jobs are now million dollar athletes are some other “non-essential” jive. It seems politicians that give hand outs are the most respected these days. But take heart, the working class will put another “rabbit” out there hat and save this tax ridden mother
Screwed glued & tattoo’ed!
Hey Mike,
Im glad your speaking about these things. I am only well 3 days away from 24, but ever since i was in middle school i have been one of the people out there trying to work. I think its funny that in High School for me i got pushed, and hard to go to a 4 year college, but i knew it was not for me. My school offered no trades other than a brick mason class and landscaping. And they both were pretty much laughed at and just a way for them to get by saying they had some alternative. I did get help from the state with welding school at 22 years old and went happily and am now a welder or an upcoming welder. I just think its a little funny, compared to my 4 year college buddies i have had to work harder than ever just to get a job. started at pennies and got an in with a company that ended up hiring me. But even now at this moment i got a day off and im sitting here reading Metallurgy books and prints on my own time cause i want to know. Not all, But a lot of people i know who are in my age range cannot understand why i do these things and dont go to the bar at night. Maybe i just have the same understanding i see jobs not being filled and i want to do my part to at least be one person to help fill a position if needed. Im not against a 4 year either, i just wish that we kinda had more options if you want a trade then here go get one, if you want a 4 year then here. It would be nice to have as you say two heads of the same coin ready and available to people that want them.
Thanks again- Steven
Thanks for taking the lead on this, Mike. Respect today goes to people who don’t do anything to benefit society. Athletes, actors, musicians are great at entertaining, but provide nothing for society other than a show. Yet, they dominate the news daily. Your show “Dirty Jobs” has brought the spotlight to some of the folks that make civilized life possible. How about a new show like “Lifestyles of the Down and Dirty” featuring family life of blue collars. By “Down” I mean folks that are “Down” with a little hard work.
Mr. Rowe has hit the nail on the head, here. For so long, we’ve encouraged our youth to go to college, to get a higher education than high school, to become the leaders of our society that we’ve lost sight of who makes our way-of-life bearable. People who earn a BA/BS don’t want a labor job! They don’t want to pick up a shovel or a grinder or a jack-hammer! They want to be the ones directing others to so. The problem is, there isn’t enough people willing to labor to fill the laborer positions! I’ll give you an example; three weeks ago, the company I work for put out a help-wanted add in the paper for laborers. We received zero applicants. None. Not a single one. The next weekend, we put out the add again. We recived four applicants (one of which never showed for the interview) and, later, extended job offers to three but none accepted. It’s as if people just don’t want to work for a living anymore.
I had no idea that there were skilled jobs still available in the US. No one ever talked about such things in school when I was growing up. Knowing that might have altered my career path. My grandfather taught me to weld and I love it but I could probably never get a job welding with my current skills.
Thank you so much Mike,I totally agree with you. I will never understand why society equates physical labor with low intelligence. Some of the smartest people I have ever met in my life are filthy and pouring sweat on a day to day basis, while solving problems and finding solutions under the harshest of conditions,they don’t call us Millwrights “Technical Engineers” without reason.
Hopefully your words and activism will show people what it takes to keep the gears turning and the lights shining. Most people don’t know or understand that anyone can buy an education,but a Craftsman earns his with blood and sweat.
Mike,
Wow! Right on! I was trained as an electronic technician 30 years ago and ended up in field service. The “perks” and pay for my position in general have deteriorated over the years. What was once a good job is now … not so good. Companies over the years have chipped away at the working person because there is no collective bargaining going on anymore. Unions have either gone bust or lost focus on the issues and companies no longer respect workers and their skills. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
As far as college goes, I work with engineers both trained in college and tech school/OJT. There is no difference in ability to perform the tasks given… only in compensation given for said tasks. I have three children and work 13hr shifts with 3 hr commute which makes for 16hr days (compressed work week). Doesn’t work well for home and family or continuing education. The answers given me for wanting to improve my situation is “if you don’t like it go find another job”. I could ramble for hours on this. I am skilled labor. I vote. I could use some help.
Thank you.
There was a documentary a few years ago on PBS called “Declining by Degrees “, which was about the declining work ethic among college students. Getting drunk, sleeping in class, cheating on assignments, grade inflation, and just plain indifference to learning were common themes among the students.
I think a major problem is that the vast majority of these kids were not really interested in going to college, they just wanted a decent job and they were told they had to go to college to get that. A lot of jobs really don’t require a college education in order to perform them. It’s just that employers have mandated a college degree is required ( or at least some college )in order to get them.
I work in Forestry, and my brother-in-law works in job counseling, and he asked me what I thought about a Forester who had like 30 years in the field working who wanted to work just a few more years before he retired, but who was told by his employer he had to get a college degree in Forestry if he wanted to keep working. After discussion with some workmates, I recommended that he take from one to just a few courses each year, so he could say he was working towards his degree.
It’s simply stupid to tell some person who has decades in a field, that he now has to go to college in order to learn about that field. He probably knew more and was more up to date than his instructors and the books he would be required to study.
RIGHT ON MAN
I am an instructor for a vocational program (HVAC) .The folks in charge have made similar claims in order to boost enrollment and raise awareness for the school ,convince lawmakers to increase funding,etc….I agree with you.If I counted up all my training hours it would be close to that of a white collar type professional. In the past very little funding was available for professional development or continued training in my trade,but it is no problem to recieve funding for college classes ,and attaining a 2 or 4 yr degree is encouraged and required for getting a raise in pay. It is because of the mindset you mention (must have college to succeed) is rooted deep in our modern culture.Glad I found this site and will use it in my training of others. THANKS
Mike you could have not said it better. I am an Electronics Instructor at a Vocational Technical school in Bethlehem, PA. Governor Corbett has proposed a humongous cut in education funding for next years budget and it is hitting our school hard. Some of our programs have enrollment issues not because of the program or instructor but because students are not made aware of classes we offer. The sending school districts promote four year colleges instead of promoting vocational-technical education. People need to understand that schools like ours and others across the country are the future of the skilled workforce in this country. Thank you for your support with SkillsUSA and the national competition.
You have my Amen Mike. I for one am very thankful someone with your passion is there to let people who need to know that “Work” is not something to be ashamed of. I come from a long line of hard working americans that grew up with the work ethic that is a dying breed today and it scares me to think where this country is heading. Love your show and really love what you are doing to wake up the country in the directions it HAS to take to survive.
Proud to be the Granddaugher, Daughter, Wife and Mom to PLUMBERS! God Bless you Mike!
Your Very Supportive Fan,
Bennie S.
“on PR duty” You say it best Mike. I’m grateful that your commitment to get the mikeroweWorks website going has garnered so much attention to the message.
I would just like to thank you for taking this and running with it.
John Riemath
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen Local 188