Skilled labor is vital to America’s economy, but there just aren’t enough trained workers. Careers as welders, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, machinists, and many other types of skilled laborers can rewarding, respectable and well-paying jobs. Skilled labor is vital to America’s economy, but there just aren’t enough trained workers. Careers as welders, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, machinists, and many other types of skilled laborers can rewarding, respectable and well-paying jobs.
EHOVE Career Center offers training in a variety of careers in these skilled trades to local high school students and adults. Most of us grew up knowing it as vocational education, but the new term is career tech education. Many are surprised at the significant incorporation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) into career tech education, and that today’s career tech students (including those at EHOVE) must meet the same academic requirements as all high school students. Beyond their skill training, EHOVE students are given the opportunity to take challenging academic classes in a customized and relevant curriculum to prepare them for a specific career and/or college.
Mike Rowe, best known for his filthy adventures as the host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, knows what works. He’s a regular guy. Likeable, relatable and somewhat skilled when it comes to manual labor. He knows what it’s like to work, but also to work hard, and feel the satisfaction of that at the end day.
Rowe has taken a public stand to shine a light on the widening skills gap in America’s workforce. Earlier this year, he spoke to the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee about the need for change in America’s workforce to promote skilled trades as desirable jobs. Rowe’s compelling, convincing and sometimes humorous message can be seen in a video HERE .
“In a hundred different ways, I think we’ve slowly marginalized an entire category of critical professions, reshaping our expectations of a good job into something that no longer looks like work,” said Rowe, referring to skilled trades in the video. “A few years from now, an hour with a good plumber, if you can find one, is going to cost more than an hour with a good psychiatrist, at which point we’ll all probably be in need of both.”
He has also started a foundation to support skilled trades, challenge the definition of a “good job”, and change our thinking that trade schools and skilled labor are nothing more than “alternatives” to “higher education.” According to his website, monies raised will be disbursed to existing initiatives and organizations, including scholarship funds, trade schools and community colleges.
“Closing the skills gap doesn’t just benefit future tradesmen and the companies who are desperate to hire them,” said Rowe in the video. “It benefits people like me and anyone else who shares my addiction to paved roads, reliable bridges, heating, air conditioning, and of course, indoor plumbing. Something for all of us to consider, perhaps during the next bathroom break.”
Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) recently acknowledged Rowe for his public support of career tech education, skilled trades and skilled workers with the 2011 ACTE Image Award. Rowe responded with a video acceptance speech and thank you that can be seen at www.Facebook.com/OhioACTE. Visitors are encouraged to like the page to see what’s happening in career education at EHOVE and throughout Ohio. You can see even more of what the EHOVE students are doing and all the latest Career Tech news at www.Facebook.com/EHOVEworks.
View the original article – HERE
One Comment
Congrats to Mike.
I’m happy to see that EHOVE offers courses in the Healthcare field.
I know that Patient Care Techs (PCTs) and nurses, are in high demand. As are medical techs and surgical techs.
As someone who is trained in BLS and CPR for healthcare providers (infant through adult), I especially love seeing this offered, and would recommend a CPR course for everyone.