“How America Works” host Mike Rowe expressed cautious optimism about a growing Gen Z trend toward skilled trades on “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade.”
During Rowe's interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, the two discussed a recent Wall Street Journal article reporting a surge in enrollment in job training programs.
The article cites the National Student Clearinghouse for statistics revealing a 16% increase in career-oriented community college enrollment from 2022, a 23% increase for students studying construction jobs and an increase of 7 % for students enrolled in HVAC/vehicle maintenance. and repair programs.
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When asked how “pleased” he was with the Wall Street Journal article, Rowe said he was “not ready for the victory lap.”
Rowe highlighted the potential for economic calculation carried out by Generation Z.
“They see $94,000 a year at Tufts. They see all the craziness…Brown, Dartmouth and Harvard. They see a $52 billion endowment at Harvard. They see all the craziness that's constantly in the news,” Rowe said. “And they're just like, 'Look, why do I want to start a career in a field that I haven't even declared yet and go into debt this far to pursue a job that probably doesn't even exist, so that we got 10,000 more jobs here…that don't require a four-year degree?'”
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Kilmeade highlighted the growing use of automation and artificial intelligence, asking Rowe if the technology posed a “problem”.
“The automation thing, you know, it's funny – not 'ha-ha' funny, but interesting that the idea of robots coming to replace all these so-called blue-collar jobs that have been around for 15 years” ,” Rowe said. “Now it’s AI, and the goal is more white-collar jobs.”
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Rowe has doubled the demand for electricians, pipefitters and plumbers, among others, despite emerging technologies.
“Look, plumbers are not going to be outsourced,” he added. “The electricians, the boiler fitters, the pipe fitters, the people my foundation is trying to help — they have a level of job security that the Journal article refers to, and that's a big deal, because these jobs have always been there for 20 years. ”