By India McCarty
Many in the workforce worry about AI in the workforce, but for Mike Rowe, there’s a bigger problem — the lack of skilled workers in America — and those problems might just go hand in hand.
“The future of AI demands that we reinvigorate the skilled trades — immediately — and close America’s skills gap. If we can’t build it, wire it, and maintain it, we can’t have it,” he told Fortune.
While AI companies are working overtime to break ground on more data centers, they keep running into the same issue: a lack of workers to build these projects.
“We took shop class out of high school and convinced a whole generation they needed a four-year degree to succeed no matter the cost,” Rowe explained. “That was a big mistake. Welding, plumbing, and electrical work aren’t just viable — they’re vital. And the shortages in those fields are acute.”
Related: Mike Rowe Warns America Is ‘Desperate’ For Skilled Workers
He continued, “A renaissance in the skilled trades requires an underlying appreciation for the work itself. We have to show kids that a skilled tradesperson is no less valued than a graduate from the Ivy League. More so, even.”
“Technology alone didn’t build America — skilled tradespeople did,” Rowe concluded. “The future is in their hands, right where it’s always been.”
This is a problem Rowe has frequently spoken about. During an appearance on Fox News Radio’s THE BRIAN KILMEADE SHOW, he shared his worries about the lack of skilled tradespeople.
“Every year, for every five tradespeople who retire, two people replace them,” he explained. “This has been going on for about 18 years, and the math has become so critical and so under-reported. You can’t find a single major corporation today who relies to some degree on skilled labor [that] isn’t struggling to hire.”
It’s something Rowe has been working to rectify through his mikeroweWORKS Foundation, where he provides scholarships to young people looking to attend trade school.
“We’re on a mission to help close the skills gap by challenging the stigmas and stereotypes that discourage people from pursuing the millions of available jobs,” the foundation’s website reads. “We’re redefining a good education and a good job, because we don’t think a four-year degree is the best path for the most people. We want people to understand the impact of skilled labor on their lives, and we’re convinced that the solution has to start with a new appreciation for hard work.”
Rowe’s mission to promote skilled work is a reminder that, while AI might be affecting some jobs, the tech can’t replace trade workers.
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