In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Later today, Discovery Channel host Mike Rowe (of "Dirty Jobs" fame) will publicly support Mitt Romney at a campaign event in Ohio.
Rowe wrote a letter to Romney earlier this month in which he addressed the issue that motivates his life's work -- larger appreciation for skilled labor. I read it and found it simple but fascinating.
Dirty Jobs is a great show that celebrates actual work, hard work. Rowe's job is to learn about each of these jobs -- and do them -- week to week. I'm sure many of you are familiar with it. When the economy tanked, he was asked by various media outlets to weigh in on unemployment and skilled labor shortages, manufacturing and infrastructure, currency valuations, free trade and various other work-related problems:
In each case, I shared my theory that most of these “problems” were in fact symptoms of something more fundamental – a change in the way Americans viewed hard work and skilled labor. That’s the essence of what I’ve heard from the hundreds of men and women I’ve worked with on Dirty Jobs. Pig farmers, electricians, plumbers, bridge painters, jam makers, blacksmiths, brewers, coal miners, carpenters, crab fisherman, oil drillers…they all tell me the same thing over and over, again and again – our country has become emotionally disconnected from an essential part of our workforce. We are no longer impressed with cheap electricity, paved roads, and indoor plumbing. We take our infrastructure for granted, and the people who build it.
Today, we can see the consequences of this disconnect in any number of areas, but none is more obvious than the growing skills gap. Even as unemployment remains sky high, a whole category of vital occupations has fallen out of favor, and companies struggle to find workers with the necessary skills. The causes seem clear. We have embraced a ridiculously narrow view of education. Any kind of training or study that does not come with a four-year degree is now deemed “alternative.” Many viable careers once aspired to are now seen as “vocational consolation prizes,” and many of the jobs this current administration has tried to “create” over the last four years are the same jobs that parents and teachers actively discourage kids from pursuing. (I always thought there was something ill-fated about the promise of three million “shovel ready jobs” made to a society that no longer encourages people to pick up a shovel.)
I couldn't agree more. We have somehow gone from viewing jobs requiring skilled labor as noble to them being at the bottom of the pile. Our whole education system is designed to lead everyone away from hard work and skilled labor.
What we value in the workforce is a moral question at heart.Mike Rowe is working to address that question through a non-profit he's started, which includes raising money for trade scholarships and simple advocacy on behalf of skilled labor.I think he's on to something.
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Comments:
Jun '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
I can't write rationally on this topic, due to a strong undercurrent of rage. But I'll try, briefly: The worst ten percent of building contractors is more skilled, more honest, and has done more for their fellow man than the top ten percent of lawyers.
May '12
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
I hope that helps.
Looking at the latest RCP electoral map is quite dismal now that the have shifted Ohio's 18 from grey to light blue, putting Obama at 265.
May '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Very well put !
Couldn't agree more about the current tendency towards useless occupations and away from actually making stuff and doing useful work. Unfortunately, the current administration, and the president in particular, are perfect examples of highly credentialed people who literally (as a certain VP would say) haven't done a single useful days work in decades. If Obama had a job pumping gas when he was in college, that was the greatest net contribution he's ever made to the economy ! Pity he didn't stick to it and work his way up to owning a gas station or a dealership - he would then have done something worthwhile with his life, not to mention saving a few trillion !
Edited on September 26, 2012 at 6:05pmMay '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Romney should hold a forum on vocational and technical education with Rowe, John Ratzenberger, Dean Kamen (of the FIRST Robotics notoriety), the guys from Mythbusters, and perhaps one or two people from any of the other cars/guns-type shows.
The Mythbuster guys are libertarians from the left side of the spectrum, but perhaps could be convinced if the politics were kept down and/or Obama was invited.
Aug '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
I read Rowe's letter earlier this month and did several fist-pumps in response. I say this as a man with very few of those kinds of skills.
I can spend 70 or 80 hours a week doing all this desk-work, but what I find far more fulfilling is mowing the grass. Putting up storm windows. Fixing a flat on my kid's bike. Canning the harvest from the garden.
If I had to do it all over again, I would go right into trade school. I'm strongly recommending that for my kids when they get that age.
Edited on September 26, 2012 at 4:27pmJul '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
I love Mike Rowe - unlike most of the so called "reality" shows that are really a parade of human debris in the name of entertainment, Mike's show deals with the "real" "reality" (sad that this even needs clarification).
I'll look up his non-profit and donate. And Romney is a fool if he does not use Mike's support.
Jul '10
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
I have been a structural designer in the petro/chem industry for 25 years. I build 3D models and plan 3d space while fulfilling design requirements.
I don’t have a degree (fairly obvious if you have seen any of my posts). I earn twice as much as the degreed engineers that surround me. Older designers are retiring fast and I will soon be an endangered species. As a scarce resource I should have the potential to earn far more.
(Spoiler alert; Im going to whine about my high paying job). Except for the pay I’m considered of no consequence at work. Just remain billable and its all good. It’s a real head fake. One I often struggle with.
Mr. Rowe’s is correct that we have undervalued these skilled labor jobs but it goes deeper. In my estimation a degree is a poor indicator of work quality and quantity (especially leadership) . It is an excellent indicator of how much BS you are going to have to deal with to get a job done well.
Jan '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Thank the "knowledge economy," a racist and elitist notion that Americans could reserve the "knowledge" jobs to ourselves, and farm out the manual labor jobs and manufacturing jobs to immigrants, or ship them overseas to India, China, and whoever else would be willing in such "low" jobs.
Jul '12
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
I have personally counselled over a dozen young men to forego college and instead become journeyman electricians, plumbers, pipe-fitters, welders ,etc. Those that have come out the other side as masters are making $50K+ and have a steady job with little-to-no debt unlike their peers that went to college and received a mostly useless degree with tens of thousands of debt and no real job prospects.
May '10
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
This is sentimental hogwash. This is how capitalism works. Wages chase demand, labor chases wages. There is no shortage of vocational training in this country. There is arguably a surfeit of unskilled, underemployed workers that are insufficiently motivated. But this is not a cultural issue or a values issue.
And oh, by the way, Rowe is a rent-seeking actor who is actually not engaged in dirty work himself anymore. What's the matter? Isn't it good enough for him?
May '10
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
ctlaw: Romney should hold a forum on vocational and technical education with Rowe, John Ratzenberger, Dean Kamen (of the FIRST Robotics notoriety), the guys from Mythbusters, and perhaps one or two people from any of the other cars/guns-type shows.
The Mythbuster guys are libertarians from the left side of the spectrum, but perhaps could be convinced if the politics were kept down and/or Obama was invited. · 23 minutes ago
So a forum on "real" work with a bunch of actors who play working men on TV? Please.
May '10
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Getting this reality into the market information feedback loop is the best way to deal with this "problem."
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
It IS a cultural and values issue if blue-collar workers are looked down upon by our society, which they are.
Jul '10
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Mr. Box is correct ....
Mar '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Ben, I must thank you for counseling those young men to go into skilled trades instead of college. I worked my way through college as an apprentice cabinetmaker. After graduating with degrees in sociology and psychology, I continued my work in cabinetmaking and general contracting and have not regretted the decision once. The work is hard but fulfilling, with the added benefit of never once being worried about being unemployed. I am 29 and rarely encounter another skilled worker my age. My mentor had tried to tell me I was better off without college and focusing solely on cabinetmaking, and now that I am older I believe he was right.
Mar '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
C.J. Box: "It IS a cultural and values issue if blue-collar workers are looked down upon by our society, which they are."
The guys I went to high school with who took shop class and learned skilled trades are starting to retire in droves. That giant sucking sound you hear is the vacuum created by the absence of those to take their place. I have two anecdotes:
All I know is that this highly-educated self-employed attorney is looking UP at both of those incomes.
I think this is a rich vein which Romney can tap. His experience in seeing industries and businesses from the inside should make this a no-brainer.
Edited on September 26, 2012 at 4:56pmMar '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
never mind
Edited on September 26, 2012 at 4:56pmMay '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Mike Rowe speaking at TED, awesome speech
Edited on September 26, 2012 at 5:15pmMay '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
Ratzenberger started out in the trades and has been one of the foremost advocates of technical education over the last 20 years. Kamen is an alleged genius inventor. The Mythbusters guys were legitimate special effects technicians with mutidisciplinary experience. The cars/guns guys would be actual car builders and gunsmiths.
Trace Urdan
ctlaw: Romney should hold a forum on vocational and technical education with Rowe, John Ratzenberger, Dean Kamen (of the FIRST Robotics notoriety), the guys from Mythbusters, and perhaps one or two people from any of the other cars/guns-type shows.
The Mythbuster guys are libertarians from the left side of the spectrum, but perhaps could be convinced if the politics were kept down and/or Obama was invited. · 23 minutes ago
So a forum on "real" work with a bunch of actors who play working men on TV? Please. · 43 minutes ago
Aug '11
Re: In Praise Of Dirty Jobs And Skilled Labor
It's not every blue-collar guy who gets up on stage to discuss peripeteia and anagnorisis, eh?