Dirty Jobs Host Mike Rowe talks about skilled trade shortage during dinner in Detriot
Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, recently told an audience at a Mackinac Center For Public Policy dinner in Detroit that there are 70,000 jobs in the collision repair and auto tech industry that sit unfilled, according to a Detroit News article.
The article says Rowe is using his platform to advocate for skilled trades.
“Every year for the last 12 years, for five tradesmen who retire and leave the workforce, two replace them,” the article quotes Rowe as saying.
He told the audience that an organization recruiting for the national defense industry needs 140,000 skilled workers over the next seven years. He added that U.S. college graduates are facing $1.7 trillion in student debt, while more than 7 million jobs are open, with most not requiring a four-year degree.
At the same time, 7.2 million people aren’t working or looking for work, he said.
“I don’t think you need to be an economist to look at that and begin to triangulate something troubling,” Rowe said during the dinner. “Those 7.2 million men are not involved with the Kiwanis Club or the Jaycees. They’re not volunteering at their local church.”
The disappearance of high school shop class and the loss of the skilled trades career path with it is one cause, he said.
“You told a whole generation they were screwed if they didn’t go in this direction,” the article says quoting Rowe. “And then you freed up a bottomless pile of money and encouraged them to borrow whatever it took to pursue their dream.”
Rowe said that some governmental policies can hurt the skilled trades workforce, but it isn’t the solution.
The Mike Rowe Works Foundation offers a scholarship program that requires applicants to sign the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, a commitment to the work ethic of showing up early, taking thankless tasks, and recognizing that the world is not fair, the article says.
SkillsUSA recently announced five federal legislative recommendations that it says will advance opportunity through career and technical education.
“Career and technical education (CTE) equips students with the skills, confidence, and real-world experiences they need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing economy,” a SkillsUSA flier says. “Whether they are just beginning their education journey or returning to the classroom to re-skill or upskill, CTE learners are preparing for the jobs that power our communities and strengthen our future.”
The Collision Engineering Career Alliance (CECA) announced earlier this week a donation of $25,000 and two salvage vehicles from the CSAA Insurance Group, an AAA insurer, to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California.
CECA is a workforce development program that unites industry and education, to create sustainable pathways to the rewarding careers Rowe discussed.
The donation will provide education resources and hands-on training for students enrolled in the Collision Engineering Program (CEP) at the college, a release says. It says the donation will help bridge the skills gap and develop entry-level talent to fill roles in the collision repair industry.
“CSAA is a respected industry insurer, supporter, and partner of the Collision Engineering Career Alliance, and we are immensely grateful for its donation,” said Mary Mahoney, Enterprise Mobility vice president and Collision Engineering Career Alliance leader, in the release. “Our industry expects the need to fill more than 100,000 collision technician jobs in the next three years — no one can solve this problem alone. We applaud CSAA for their partnership and commitment to strengthen the future of collision repair. Together with more industry partners, we can build the next generation of highly skilled collision repair professionals in more communities across the U.S.”
Dan Tessadri, CSAA Insurance Group senior manager of auto process and performance, said the donation demonstrates the group’s commitment to developing the next generation of vehicle repair professionals who will maintain the highest industry standards “through meaningful, rewarding industry careers.”
G&C Auto Body also gave the program a matching donation of $25,000.
“We are grateful for all donations and look forward to unlocking more educational resources for our students,” said Laura Lozano, an instructor at Contra Costa College, in the release. “The program has seen tremendous success with growing recognition in the San Francisco Bay Area. By coming together and supporting one another, we are working to build a strong future for Collision Engineering.”
Contra Costa College was one of the first colleges to pilot the program when it launched in 2020. It has since expanded to Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, Missouri; College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois; Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois; Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska; and Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
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Feature image courtesy of kadmy/iStock
Embedded photo courtesy of CSAA