Mike Rowe has really branched out since the premiere of “Dirty Jobs” in November of 2003. He now lends his voice to the narration of “How America Works” while also hosting and producing his own podcast, “The Way I heard It.” Guests on the podcast have included decorated veterans as well as seasoned police officers who make their community great. American viewers gave Rowe a platform with “Dirty Jobs,” and now he intends to use it to highlight what this country is all about.
While Rowe spends a lot of time talking about the working class and the entire span of blue-collar workers, he also realizes that other outreach is important. Those workers won’t stay in the workforce forever, after all. Some get injured, some venture out to other fields, and others simply “age out” with their retirement.
That’s why Mike Rowe has a message to the future of our country and the next generation to enter the workforce: high schoolers.
Mike Rowe Wants High Schoolers To Know “You Have Choices”
The curriculum and educational systems in place today tend to focus heavily on standardized testing and scores. High school, especially, pushes for college prep from the minute kids enter the building. The thing is, college isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.
Actually, we need more people that choose to go into trades, because they’re the very foundation of so much of our lifestyles. Can you imagine sustaining your current lifestyle without plumbing? Electricity? A working car?
Mike Rowe shared the image above to remind high schoolers that they have a choice, whether they realize it or not. He stands with David Soliday saying “You are correct” in response to “This should be in every high school in America!”
Addressing the Criticism
Mike Rowe shared the image above across all his social media platforms, including Facebook. Here, he was met with a little resistance. Pam Lauer commented asking “It’s not just about how much you make an hour, though, is it?” The comment gained nearly 200 reactions in less than 2 hours, both for and against her assumptions.
In his usual gracious fashion, Mike Rowe kept from escalating the ensuing war in his comment section. Instead of adding fuel to the fire, he penned a cordial comment back to address the criticism and further the conversation.
“Of course not. Job satisfaction is never about any one thing. But when the average American thinks welders and plumbers and heavy equipment mechanics barely scrape by, somebody has to correct that misperception. But to your point, yes – low wages are just one of many misperceptions that keep kids from exploring a career in the trades.”
