Mike Rowe, creator of TV's "Dirty Jobs", testifies to Congress.

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Full article below:

 

Mike Rowe's Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

May 11, 2011

 

Chairman Rockefeller, Ranking Member Hutchison and members of this committee, my name is Mike Rowe, and I want to thank you all very much for the opportunity to testify before you today.

 

I'm here today because of my grandfather.

 

His name was C arl Knobel, and he made his living in Baltimore as a master electrician. He was also a plumber, a mechanic, a mason, and a carpenter. Everyone knew him as a jack-of-all-trades. I knew him as a magician.

 

For most of his life, my grandfather woke up clean and came home dirty. In between, he accomplished things that were nothing short of miraculous. Some days he might re-shingle a roof. Or rebuild a motor. Or maybe run electricity out to our barn. He helped build the church I went to as a kid, and the farmhouse my brothers and I grew up in. He could fix or build anything, but to my knowledge he never once read the directions. He just knew how stuff worked.

 

I remember one Saturday morning when I was 12. I flushed the toilet in the same way I always had. The toilet however, responded in a way that was completely out of character. There was a rumbling sound, followed by a distant gurgle. Then, everything that had gone down reappeared in a rather violent and spectacular fashion.

 

Naturally, my grandfather was called in to investigate, and within the hour I was invited to join he and my dad in the front yard with picks and shovels.

 

By lunch, the lawn was littered with fragments of old pipe and mounds of dirt. There was welding and pipe-fitting, blisters and laughter, and maybe some questionable language. By sunset we were completely filthy. But a new pipe was installed, the dirt was back in the hole, and our toilet was back on its best behavior. It was one of my favorite days ever.

 

Thirty years later in San Francisco when my toilet blew up again. This time, I didn't participate in the repair process. I just called my landlord, left a check on the kitchen counter, and went to work. When I got home, the mess was cleaned up and the problem was solved. As for the actual plumber who did the work, I never even met him.

 

It occurred to me that I had become disconnected from a lot of things that used to fascinate me. I no longer thought about where my food came from, or how my electricity worked, or who fixed my pipes, or who made my clothes. There was no reason to. I had become less interested in how things got made, and more interested in how things got bought.

 

At this point my grandfather was well into his 80s, and after a long visit with him one weekend, I decided to do a TV show in his honor. Today, Dirty Jobs is still on the air, and I am here before this committee, hoping to say something useful. So, here it is.

 

I believe we need a national PR Campaign for Skilled Labor. A big one. Something that addresses the widening skills gap head on, and reconnects the country with the most important part of our workforce.

 

Right now, American manufacturing is struggling to fill 200,000 vacant positions. There are 450,000 openings in trades, transportation and utilities. The skills gap is real, and it's getting wider. In Alabama, a third of all skilled tradesmen are over 55. They're retiring fast, and no one is there to replace them.

 

Alabama's not alone. A few months ago in Atlanta I ran into Tom Vilsack, our Secretary of Agriculture. Tom told me about a governor who was unable to move forward on the construction of a power plant. The reason was telling. It wasn't a lack of funds. It wasn't a lack of support. It was a lack of qualified welders.

 

In general, we're surprised that high unemployment can exist at the same time as a skilled labor shortage. We shouldn't be. We've pretty much guaranteed it.

 

In high schools, the vocational arts have all but vanished. We've elevated the importance of "higher education" to such a lofty perch that all other forms of knowledge are now labeled "alternative." Millions of parents and kids see apprenticeships and on-the-job-training opportunities as "vocational consolation prizes," best suited for those not cut out for a four-year degree. And still, we talk about millions of "shovel ready" jobs for a society that doesn't encourage people to pick up a shovel.

 

In a hundred different ways, we have slowly marginalized an entire category of critical professions, reshaping our expectations of a "good job" into something that no longer looks like work. 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 be in need of both.

 

I came here today because guys like my grandfather are no less important to civilized life than they were 50 years ago. Maybe they're in short supply because we don't acknowledge them they way we used to. We leave our check on the kitchen counter, and hope the work gets done. That needs to change.

 

My written testimony includes the details of several initiatives designed to close the skills gap, all of which I've had the privilege to participate in. Go Build Alabama, I Make America, and my own modest efforts through Dirty Jobs and mikeroweWORKS. I'm especially proud to announce "Discover Your Skills," a broad-based initiative from Discovery Communications that I believe can change perceptions in a meaningful way.

 

I encourage you to support these efforts, because closing the skills gap doesn't just benefit future tradesmen and the companies desperate to hire them. It benefits people like me, and anyone else who shares my addiction to paved roads, reliable bridges, heating, air conditioning, and indoor plumbing.

 

 

The skills gap is a reflection of what we value. To close the gap, we need to change the way the country feels about work.

[alexgaddis]

[The Next Generation]

Judge Smails: Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too.

[TimC]

Gross. I'm not getting dirty when I work. This is America. That's what the Mexicans are for.

[peepinmofo]

Gross. I'm not getting dirty when I work. This is America. That's what the Mexicans are for.

"THEY TOOK OUR JOBS!!!"

 

-South Park

[detlef]

[MrTed46]

Gross. I'm not getting dirty when I work. This is America. That's what the Mexicans are for.

 

And some of them are even sub-letting their jobs to even Souther Americans

[DMD]

He is 100% correct. We all push every kid to go to college and not towards skilled trades and end up with major unemployment among the young who sit there with a liberal arts degree and $100k in student loans while no one can fix their plumbing, electricity, car, etc - all of which become more complicated as time passes. I have a nephew who is just about to become a master plumber and he cannot keep up with all the opportunities he has now with his regular job and side jobs.

 

The push that everyone needs to go to college was noble in ways but unrealistic and actually harmful. Trades make very good money and are mandatory to have for society. It isn't like it was before when anyone with a college degree could get a good job because most companies do not train new employees like they once did. They hire people with developed skills.

[detlef]

He is 100% correct. We all push every kid to go to college and not towards skilled trades and end up with major unemployment among the young who sit there with a liberal arts degree and $100k in student loans while no one can fix their plumbing, electricity, car, etc - all of which become more complicated as time passes. I have a nephew who is just about to become a master plumber and he cannot keep up with all the opportunities he has now with his regular job and side jobs.

 

The push that everyone needs to go to college was noble in ways but unrealistic and actually harmful. Trades make very good money and are mandatory to have for society. It isn't like it was before when anyone with a college degree could get a good job because most companies do not train new employees like they once did. They hire people with developed skills.

It's really a shame. I remember thinking how odd it was that, at my HS, you were looked down on even if you were going to JC. Hell, you were only borderline cool if you were going to a state 4 year. Even back then I thought that was effed up. What, are we all going to be freaking doctors? Now that I've overseen the construction of several restaurants and scratched some very, very big checks to some of these guys who ended up becoming tradesmen, the joke was certainly not on them.

[Skippy]

My buddy Aqualung would have loved to read this. This thing is dead on. Getting into the trades is not what it used to be either though. I mean they are looking for very smart and qualified people. Having a few years of college under your belt really helps get you into an apprenticeship program. That seems crazy but maybe it is because we have plenty of people that want to be in the trades around my neck of the woods.

[I Like Soup]

Wow, I never really thought about it like Mike Rowe put it, but he sounds right on the money. When I was growing up, it seemed like a lot of tradesmen worked hard and wanted to send their kids to college so they didn't have to go through what they did. It almost became cliche at one point, right? Fast forward 20-30 years and there is a shortage of skilled laborers. Go figure.

 

Oh, and I also like TimC's outlook. I do live in AZ ya know...

[gilthorp]

How old is the guy that you take your lawnmower to in order to get it repaired?

[Skippy]

How old is the guy that you take your lawnmower to in order to get it repaired?

Guy lives right across the street from me and is a guru with the lawnmowers. He is 82 and very proud of it. I try to hang out and help him as much as I can cause he has got one killer little word of mouth business running out of his garage. Crabby old guy that knows his crap like no one else I have ever known when it comes to this kind of stuff. I love him.

[millerx]

Wow, I never really thought about it like Mike Rowe put it, but he sounds right on the money. When I was growing up, it seemed like a lot of tradesmen worked hard and wanted to send their kids to college so they didn't have to go through what they did. It almost became cliche at one point, right? Fast forward 20-30 years and there is a shortage of skilled laborers. Go figure.

 

Oh, and I also like TimC's outlook. I do live in AZ ya know...

This.

 

 

I know I was preached to by my father that "trust me son, if you don't go to college and get a degree, you will hate HAVING to do manual labor when you are in your 40's, 50's, or 60's to make a living."

 

I understood his point then, and appreciate it now. It's not that I mind manual labor, and I love doing stuff around the house for myself, but I'm in my 40's now and I couldn't imagine HAVING to do it the rest of my days until retirement. I think someone else made the comment in the "when did you realize you were old" thread that it was when you started to have pains for no reason... Well, I'm there now and manual labor would seemingly exacerbate that feeling.

 

I like Rowe and what he said, but I also like my dad and his point.

[theprofessor]

This.

 

 

I know I was preached to by my father that "trust me son, if you don't go to college and get a degree, you will hate HAVING to do manual labor when you are in your 40's, 50's, or 60's to make a living."

 

I understood his point then, and appreciate it now. It's not that I mind manual labor, and I love doing stuff around the house for myself, but I'm in my 40's now and I couldn't imagine HAVING to do it the rest of my days until retirement. I think someone else made the comment in the "when did you realize you were old" thread that it was when you started to have pains for no reason... Well, I'm there now and manual labor would seemingly exacerbate that feeling.

 

I like Rowe and what he said, but I also like my dad and his point.

 

What he said.

[Clubfoothead]

In Texas we don't have enough money for the teachers we have, much less the money for rebuilding our vocational programs.

[nuke'em ttg]

In Texas we don't have enough money for the teachers we have, much less the money for rebuilding our vocational programs.

 

My high school counsellor told me to go in the military or work at the packin house, i lucked out and became a carpenter, it's a hard life young punks don't wanna work that hard, some would show up to the jobsite in flip flops gtfohycs

[bpwallace49]

He is 100% correct. We all push every kid to go to college and not towards skilled trades and end up with major unemployment among the young who sit there with a liberal arts degree and $100k in student loans while no one can fix their plumbing, electricity, car, etc - all of which become more complicated as time passes. I have a nephew who is just about to become a master plumber and he cannot keep up with all the opportunities he has now with his regular job and side jobs.

The push that everyone needs to go to college was noble in ways but unrealistic and actually harmful. Trades make very good money and are mandatory to have for society. It isn't like it was before when anyone with a college degree could get a good job because most companies do not train new employees like they once did. They hire people with developed skills.

 

Lucky dog . . my cousin is a master plumber and there arent enough jobs to get by. If it wasnt for the side repair jobs, he would be up crap creek without a paddle . . .

[detlef]

This.

 

 

I know I was preached to by my father that "trust me son, if you don't go to college and get a degree, you will hate HAVING to do manual labor when you are in your 40's, 50's, or 60's to make a living."

 

I understood his point then, and appreciate it now. It's not that I mind manual labor, and I love doing stuff around the house for myself, but I'm in my 40's now and I couldn't imagine HAVING to do it the rest of my days until retirement. I think someone else made the comment in the "when did you realize you were old" thread that it was when you started to have pains for no reason... Well, I'm there now and manual labor would seemingly exacerbate that feeling.

 

I like Rowe and what he said, but I also like my dad and his point.

Interesting. Maybe I've always worked with particularly savvy tradesmen, but they seem to have done pretty well for themselves and have parlayed the financial head start they got on most their age into a situation where they could likely retire early.

 

For instance, kids in their mid 20s who already bought their first home and have used their on-the-job skills (both in their specific trade and their residual knowledge of other trades picked up on job sites) to remodel and improve said house. I mean, it doesn't hurt to be 4 years along your career path by the time everyone else is getting out of school. I don't know what their cut of it is, but I know I'm getting billed $50-$85 an hour for some pretty young kids. At least the electricians.

 

Guys my age who've done so a few times and flipped those houses and/or rent them out to build a pretty nice side income as well as build a ton of equity.

 

Sure, they drive crappy looking trucks and spend all day laying pipe in their 40s, but I get to know these guys and it looks like they're a lot further along on their way to funding their retirement than I am. And they've got a stay at home wife with a couple of kids. I mean, my ace in the hole is that both my wife and I work and we don't have any spawn to pay for.

 

I'm sure there are plenty who go blow their money at the bars after work and end up having to grind it out long past the years they should, and I've seen some of them as well. But the combo of being able to make pretty good money at a relatively young age, with no college loans to pay off, and having a skill that allows you to maximize your biggest investment, is a pretty nice situation.

[Rebellab]

I have a bachelor's degree in a field that at this point I will never work in again. For the last month I get up at 5:45 am and get to work by 7:00 am. I have been lucky to be home by 9:00 to 10:00 pm. It rained recently and we were off today early. So 70 to 80 hours a week are not uncommon. I chose to do what I am doing and I have recently interviewed for a much better job, which someday I hope to have. During the interview, I was asked why I was applying for the position? I said that I would like to be completely honest and that I absolutely hate the spring season. One of the interview panel then started the conversation of what is going to happen when no one wants to work like I have to. We do it for two to three months and it sucks. I cannot image doing this the rest of my life. I went from white collar to blue collar and I have enjoyed the change, but I cannot imagine doing it the rest of my life. I have always felt the way Mike does. When will we have too many educated people. Someone will need to do the "dirty work." The thing that you and I have to look forward to is that it will cost us a lot more money for that "dirty work." There is a hell of a lot of opportunity for someone to take up true trades and work hard.

 

In that same discussion, I am working in agriculture and the young people don't want to work on farms anymore. Most of the big operators hire South Africans to fill their needs. When will there be no people to work on farms that produce our food?

[kpholmes]

 

- even better than the transcript. He's a great speaker.

[Yukon Cornelius]

[SEC=UGA]

In Texas we don't have enough money for the teachers we have, much less the money for rebuilding our vocational programs.

 

We Texans love to compare ourselves with California; we have created more private sector jobs, have a lower tax burden and lower unemployment rate, and folks are leaving the formerly 'Golden' State in droves to seek Lone Star prosperity. Without a doubt, there is much to cheer. There is one area, however, where indeed Texas is bigger, but it is nothing to celebrate.

 

Both states love to tout their per pupil spending, and on the surface Texas looks pretty good at $6,746 to California's $7,511. As I've pointed out previously, these per pupil statistics do not include the cost of pensions, debt service, or building/construction costs, and are seriously deceptive. When all expenditures are included Texas per pupil spending rises to $11,024, and California's to $11,800.

 

Not too bad, right?

 

Unfortunately, a comparison of certain other aspects of education spending in the two states paints a whole new picture. As it turns out Texas has more public school employees than any state in the nation. California has 1.6 million more students than Texas, but has 1,225 fewer schools, and a jaw-dropping 52,090 fewer total education personnel. While we would hope that most of our public school employees would consist of those folks who actually teach, only 51% of Texas public education employees are teachers.

 

In the face of potential budget cuts, Texas education bureaucrats are demanding more spending rather than cuts. However, as Governor Perry pointed out in his State of the State address last week, State spending on education has increased 82% over the last decade. Even more astounding is the fact that total Texas public school expenditures have increased 335% since 1987. While we would hope that such vast increases in spending would improve student performance, an examination of the NAEP (National Assessment for Educational Progress) results reveal that Texas student test scores have remained stagnant or have actually decreased during this period.

 

Throw more money at it...

 

WIth regard to Mike's testimony, he is spot on.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Throw more money at it...

 

WIth regard to Mike's testimony, he is spot on.

only 51% of Texas public education employees are teachers is that the teachers fault or the school board?

[Rovers]

Many of these jobs used to be union jobs. That meant good pay, job security and benefits. Now the pay is lousy, the unions have been broken and the benefits are gone. Why would a young man sign up for that?