I’VE GONE THROUGH THE YEARS.
SEAN: HERE NOW IS CO-HOST OF
"HOW AMERICA WORKS" HERE AT THE
FOX BUSINESS NETWORK ALONG BEING
THE HOST OF " DIRTY JOBS."
MIKE, THE KIDS THAT I
INTERVIEWED WERE SO EXCITED THAT
YOU WERE GOING TO SEE YOUR
PACKAGE, BECAUSE THEY SAY MIKE
ROWE IS THE VOICE OF OUR
MOVEMENT AND OUR INDUSTRY.
DO YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING,
MIKE, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE
BUSINESSES COME TOGETHER AND SAY
IF WE’RE GOING TO SELL YOUNG
PEOPLE ON, YOU KNOW,
MANUFACTURING AND WELDING, WE
HAVE TO DO IT OURSELVES AND HIGH
SCHOOL IS TOO LATE?
THEY WERE SAYING WE HAVE TO
CONVINCE PARENTS AND TEACHERS
AND COUNSELORS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
TO ACTUALLY JUST GET THEM TO
CONSIDER OUR JOBS.
>> THAT GUY, JOHN PEETERSON, HE
COULDN’T -- PETERSON, HE
COULDN’T HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON
THE HEAD HARDER.
THE INDUSTRY HAS DONE A TERRIBLE
JOB OF MAKING A TRULY PERSUASIVE
CASE TO THE KIND OF KIDS THAT
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT HAS TO BE SUPER PROACTIVE
BECAUSE WHAT HE’S PUSHING
AGAINST RIGHT NOW IS A LONG LIST
OF MYTHS AND MISPERCEPTIONS AND
STIGMAS AND STEREOTYPES THAT
AFFIRMATIVELY KEEP KIDS FROM
PURSUING THESE CAREERS.
MY FOUNDATION’S HELPED OVER 1400
PEOPLE GET THE KINDS OF SKILLS
THAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.
PROBABLY A THIRD OF THE PEOPLE
WE ASSIST ARE WELDERS.
IN FACT, JUST LAST WEEK I WAS ON
"FOX & friends" WITH CHLOE
HUDSON, A 28-YEAR-OLD
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT, WHO’S
MAKING A VERY STEADY SIX-FIGURE
INCOME YEAR AFTER YEAR AT JOE
GIBBS AEROSPACE WELDING.
SO, YEAH, THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO
DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING A CASE
FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT
EXIST.
BUT WE’RE PART OF THAT TOO,
SEAN.
WE’RE IN THE MEDIA, AND WE CAN
SHINE OUR LIGHT IN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT PLACES.
CONGRATS ON DOING A GREAT STORY.
WE HAVE TO GET THESE PEOPLE
FRONT AND CENTER, WE HAVE TO LET
THEM TELL THEIR STORIES BECAUSE
THE EVIDENCE DEMANDS A VERDICT.
AND THE EVIDENCE IS IN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD JOBS OUT
THERE, 11 MILLION OPEN POSITIONS
RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
IT’S CRAZY TO KEEP PUSHING SO
MANY KIDS INTO A FOUR-YEAR
SITUATION THAT THEY SIMPLY CAN’T
AFFORD.
SEAN: YOU KNOW, I SAW THE
SEGMENT THAT YOU DID ON "FOX &
friends," AND EVEN HERE AS I
CAME IN, THESE ARE 18 AND
22-YEAR-OLD YOUNG GIRLS THAT
REALLY, E ASKED THEM, I’M NOT
SUPPOSED TO ASK, BUT I’M, LIKE,
HOW MUCH DO YOU GUYS WEIGH?
THEY DON’T WEIGH 100 POUNDS, AND
THEY’RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
THIS IS A DEAL THAT’S OPEN FOR
EVERYBODY.
WHAT I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND FULLY
WAS HOW DISENGAGED THE INDUSTRY
IS.
YOU CAN SIT AND COMPLAIN ABOUT A
LACK OF A WORK FORCE OR LACK OF
SKILL SETS, BUT EVERY
MANUFACTURER IN AMERICA HAS TO
DO WHAT THEY’RE DOING IN CENTRAL
WISCONSIN TO ENGAGE THEIR
COMMUNITY TO ACTUALLY BRING THEM
IN.
LET KIDS AND PARENTS SEE, HEY,
THIS IS A PRETTY COOL WORK
ENVIRONMENT, AND PEOPLE ARE
HAVING FUN, BUT THEY’RE ALSO
MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.
IS IT REALLY INDUSTRY AND THEIR
ENGAGEMENT THAT’S GOING TO FIX
THIS PROBLEM?
>> WELL, IT’S CERTAINLY GOING TO
BE A PART OF IT.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK THE FIRST
THING WE HAVE TO DO, SEAN,
HONESTLY, IS STOP LOOKING AT THE
PROBLEM IN A PURELY BINARY WAY.
THIS IS NOT JUST EMPLOYERS
STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT AND
POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES SUFFERING
BECAUSE THEY LACK THE NECESSARY
SKILLS.
THIS IS ALL OF US.
THIS IS 330 MILLION PEOPLE WHO,
LAST I CHECKED, SHARED MY
ADDICTION TO SMOOTH ROADS AND
RUNWAYS AND AFFORDABLE
ELECTRICITY AND INDOOR PLUMBING
AND BUILDINGS THAT STAND UP
BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN PROPERLY
WELDED.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS.
AND IT WAS SCARY WHEN THERE WERE
2, 3, 4 MILLION OPEN POSITIONS.
WITH 11 MILLION OPEN JOBS RIGHT
NOW, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH
DON’T REQUIRE A FOUR-YEAR
DEGREE, WE HAVE TO -- ALL OF
US -- COLLECTIVELY RETHINK THESE
BROMIDES AND PLATITUDES AND
COOKIE CUTTER ADVICE WHEN IT
COMES TO PUSHING PEOPLE IN ONE
DIRECTION.
LOOK, "DIRTY JOBS" AND "HOW
AMERICA WORKS," THEY DO A GOOD
JOB OF SHOWING WORK AS IT REALLY
EXISTS.
THEY’RE ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS.
SEAN: RIGHT.
>> BUT UNDERNEATH OF THEM RIGHT
NOW IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
START CONNECTING THE DOTS, AND
THOSE DOTS RIGHT THERE LOOK LIKE
OPPORTUNITY.
YOU KNOW?
HARD WORK IS NOT THE ENEMY, AND
SKILLED LABOR, IT’S IN
EVERYBODY’S INTEREST TO HAVE A
BALANCED WORK FORCE.
SEAN: MIKE, YOU KNOW WHEN I
TALKED TO THE KIDS, IT WAS LIKE,
LISTEN, DO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY
REALLY GET DIRTY?
THE THEY TOLD ME TO GIVE YOU
SOME PUSHBACK.
WE’RE BLACK FROM HEAD TO TOE,
AND WE JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF
WHITE AROUND OUR EYES WHERE WE
HAD OUR GOGGLES.
WHAT WAS INTERESTING WAS THE
SPARKLE THEY HAD.
THEY’RE DOING GOOD WORK, THEY’RE
CREATING, AND THEY’RE PROUD OF
THEIR SKILL SETS.
AND, AGAIN, THEY GO HOME DIRTY
AND HAVE TO TAKE A SHOWER, BUT
THEY LOOK AT THEIR DAY’S WORK
AND GO I’VE GOT SOMETHING TO
SHOW FOR WHAT I’VE DONE IN THE
LAST 8 HOURS WHICH YOU CAN SEE
THE JOY IN THEIR EYES AND IN
THEIR HEARTS.
>> AND THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW
THEY’VE CONFRONTED A STIGMA AND
A STEREOTYPE, AND THEY KNOW THEY
HAVE PROVEN TO THEIR FRIENDS AND
THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR GUIDANCE
COUNSELOR THAT THERE IS A WAY
THROUGH THIS AND THAT THERE IS
SUCH A THING AS PROSPERITY THAT
BEGINS WITH THE MASTERY OF A
SKILL THAT’S IN DEMAND.
THAT’S STILL FOR SALE.
IT’S OUT THERE.
AND, AGAIN, CONGRATS ON DOING A
GREAT PIECE.
I HOPE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SEE
IT.
SEAN: YEAH, THANK YOU.
THEY LOVE YOU, AND THEY’RE
GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU DO TO
PROMOTE THE INDUSTRY.
ONE LAST POINT, MY KIDS ARE
SINGING THE SANTA’S GOT A DIRTY
JOB ALL THE TIME --
[LAUGHTER]
AND I DIDN’T KNOW THAT YOU COULD
SING, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT I HAD TO EXPLAIN, WHY DOES
SANTA HAVE A DIRTY JOB?
AND THEY’RE LIKE, OH, YEAH, I
GUESS HE DOES.
GREAT SONG, AND THANKS FOR MAKE
OUR CHRISTMAS A LITTLE BRIGHTER.
>> AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF
FOX.
YOU KNOW, THAT’S THE MOST
DOWNLOADED SONG IN THE WORLD AS
OF LAST WEEK, AND ALL THE MONEY
GOES TO CHARITIES THAT HELP
CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP.
SEAN: TO A GREAT CAUSE.
>> AGAIN, MANY THANKS.
SEAN: AWESOME, BROTHER, THANK
YOU.
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