Equipment World

April 2014

Equipment World Digital Magazine

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EquipmentWorld.com | April 2014 11 reporter | by Equipment World staff O ne of the stars to at- tend Con- Expo this year was Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame. With sponsorship from Caterpillar, Rowe was promot- ing his new book, Profoundly Dis- connected and his mikeroweWORKS foundation, which raises money for trade school scholar- ships. We had a chance to sit down with Rowe during the show and hear why he so passionately believes in vocational education and the value of the skilled trades. Rowe says his hit TV show Dirty Jobs was really a tribute to his grandfather who was a master electri- cian, plumber, steamfi tter and architect. "He was born knowing how things worked," Rowe says. The more he learned from the people he profi led on Dirty Jobs, the more Rowe realized he had lost his wonder for the minor miracles brought to us by tradespeople. "I was no longer appropriately gobsmacked by that," Rowe says. "You fl ush the toilet, it goes away. You turn on the switch and the lights come on, you turn the dial, the air comes on... all these things that we so take for granted I had become very far removed from." The more he looked around, the more he realized he wasn't alone in his ignorance. "I think the country is disconnected with that part of the workforce that keeps the lights on – the jobs that make civilized life possible," Rowe says. "If the country gets reconnected to the point where they share that wonder for these things, I suspect the is- sues we look at as problems are going to have a lot better chance of getting sorted out." To that end Rowe started mikerowe- WORKS and a cam- paign called Pro- foundly Disconnected to "challenge the absurd belief that a four year degree is the only path to success." "Most people today don't understand that the shortage of weld- ers is critical," Rowe says. "The construc- tion industry is really back on its heels. The vocational schools' biggest problem is getting through to the parents, guidance counselors and the kids that a career in the skilled trades is more than a vocational consolation prize. There's a trillion dollars in student loan debt, yet we have three million jobs that can't be fi lled. That's a profound disconnect. We ignore that at our peril." What America needs is to reconnect with its blue- collar roots, it's love of making things. In the past people admired people who made things in our fac- tories and farms. Today we idolize people who buy and sell things, the big money, Wall Street and all the rest. In the past he says, "Dirt was a badge of honor." To young people contemplating their career path, Rowe advises them to be careful of anything that looks too easy. "What's really for sale today is a shortcut. And shortcuts lead to long delays." To the parents of those kids he notes that he is not anti-col- lege. "I'm anti debt, but very pro education," Rowe says. "But I'm convinced some of the best educa- tional opportunities that exist do not come with a four-year degree." For more on his foundation go to: profoundlydiscon- nected.com. To see a full video of our full interview go to equipmentworld.com/mike-rowe-interview/ – Tom Jackson Mike Rowe speaks out on the critical lack of skilled tradespeople

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