Mike Rowe’s Case for Career and Technical Education

Imagine waking up one day and your toilet won’t flush, your lights won’t turn on, and your internet is buffering like it’s 1999.

No, this isn’t the plot of a mildly dystopian novel – it’s what Mike Rowe, host of “Dirty Jobs,” wants you to envision if all the skilled tradespeople decided to take a week off.

“If all the CTE people call in sick for a week, you’re going to have a problem,” Rowe said during a press conference at SkillsUSA’s 2016 National Leadership and Skills Conference. His trademark wry smile barely concealed the seriousness of his message.

CTE—or Career and Technical Education—has become a buzzword in the education world. In fact, since 1998, media mentions of CTE have increased a hundredfold, rivaling coverage of celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Queen Elizabeth.

It’s a movement that’s long overdue in a country where parents and guidance counselors have been pushing a “college for all” narrative for decades.

While we’ve been busy steering our kids towards four-year degrees, Rowe has been shining a spotlight on folks like the pig farmer he met on “Dirty Jobs” who’s pulling in a cool $200,000 a year. Meanwhile, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, over half of recent college grads are either unemployed or working jobs that don’t require their expensive degrees.

Have we been thinking about college all wrong?

Rowe and a growing chorus of educators and industry leaders answer with a resounding “yes.”

“We’re lending money we don’t have to kids who can’t pay it back to train them for jobs that no longer exist,” Rowe stated in one of his many passionate pleas for educational reform.

Meanwhile, he points to a “smoldering crater” in our workforce where the vocational arts once stood in high schools.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, over 10 million jobs remained unfilled as of February 2024, many in skilled trades and technical fields. As Rowe puts it, “The most critical jobs that allow civilized life to happen are the exact jobs right now that are struggling to recruit.”

So why the disconnect? Why are we facing a skills gap crisis when we have millions of young people eager to start their careers?

Perhaps the answer lies in our perception of what constitutes a ‘good job’ and the paths we’ve traditionally valued to get there.

Thankfully, the stigma against the trades and CTE is waning. Project Jumpstart in Baltimore has helped hundreds of low-income youth launch lucrative careers in construction trades, demonstrating CTE’s potential for economic mobility.

SkillsUSA, an organization Rowe advocates for, hosts an annual national CTE competition with 300,000 students showcasing their skills in everything from welding to robotics.

Scenes from SkillsUSA’s annual national CTE Competition

Still, a majority of high schoolers have no idea what CTE stands for, let alone consider it for their own careers.

CTE programs are working to bridge this gap, offering students hands-on experience in high-demand fields. These aren’t your grandfather’s shop classes. Modern CTE encompasses a wide range of disciplines, from healthcare and IT to welding, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.

Students can earn industry certifications alongside their high school diploma, giving them a head start in their careers.

Moreover, CTE is evolving with technology. Curriculums like Victory XR are integrating virtual and augmented reality to give students an immersive taste of jobs like welding or machining (without the associated physical risks that novices typically face).

The challenge now is to align our education system with the realities of the job market and creating a more flexible, responsive education system that prepares students for the jobs that actually exist.

Some states are taking notice. Florida, for example, now recognizes various coding and web development certifications as part of their career education funding.

For parents and students, embracing CTE doesn’t mean abandoning traditional academics. Many districts offer CTE programs or partner with technical schools. Encourage your children to participate in hands-on projects or summer programs that align with their interests.

OpenEd students already have access to a number of programs and curriculums at no cost:

As Rowe puts it, “We need to change the way the country feels about work.”

To “make work cool again.”

This means celebrating the essential skills that keep our society running, from plumbing and electrical work to healthcare and advanced manufacturing.

The future of work is changing rapidly – let’s ensure our children are prepared to thrive in it.

Links and Resources:

1. SkillsUSA (www.skillsusa.org): National organization hosting student competitions in technical and leadership skills.
2. Association for Career and Technical Education (www.acteonline.org): Comprehensive resource for CTE research, advocacy, and professional development.
3. Mike Rowe Works Foundation (www.mikeroweworks.org): Provides resources and scholarships for skilled trades education.
4. Dirty Jobs (Discovery Channel): Series showcasing essential but often overlooked careers.
5. CareerTech Vision (www.careertechvision.com): Annual conference and resource hub for CTE professionals.
6. U.S. Department of Education – Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (cte.ed.gov): Federal resource for CTE policies, programs, and initiatives.
7. National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (www.nrccte.org): Leading source for CTE research and best practices.