TV host Mike Rowe says schools have got it all wrong; in the AI world the most-sought after jobs will be ...
TV host Mike Rowe has said that schools have been pushing students towards college for decades, while ignoring the value of skilled trades . Speaking at an event alongside BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Rowe said the shift has created a wide gap between education and real job demand. He argued that in the AI era, jobs like electricians , welders and technicians are becoming more important and better paid. According to Mike Rowe, the focus on degrees has left many young people with debt but without stable careers.
“Nothing in the history of western civilization has gotten more expensive more quickly than a four-year degree,” Rowe said. “It’s not to say it’s not valuable, but I mean nothing—not real estate, not healthcare, not energy,” he added.
During the interaction, Rowe said schools moved shop classes in past decades, which reduced exposure to trade jobs . He described trade learning as a “vocational consolation prize.” “That shift ultimately ‘scared parents to death,’” Rowe said.
This may be the most in-demand job in the AI world
He recalled his recent visit to a data centre where Rowe said he met electricians earning between $240,000 and $280,000 a year without college debt. He noted that many had been hired multiple times within a short period.
Electricians are among the most in-demand roles, with hundreds of thousands of workers needed in the coming years. According to a Fortune report, an estimated 300,000 new electricians will be needed over the next decade, this in addition to replacing roughly 200,000 upcoming retirees.
Rowe said the job market is changing, with more focus on skills rather than degrees.
“This is the trap and it’s so easy to fall into it,” he said, adding that dividing jobs into “blue collar versus white collar” is no longer relevant.
“Nothing in the history of western civilization has gotten more expensive more quickly than a four-year degree,” Rowe said. “It’s not to say it’s not valuable, but I mean nothing—not real estate, not healthcare, not energy,” he added.
During the interaction, Rowe said schools moved shop classes in past decades, which reduced exposure to trade jobs . He described trade learning as a “vocational consolation prize.” “That shift ultimately ‘scared parents to death,’” Rowe said.
This may be the most in-demand job in the AI world
He recalled his recent visit to a data centre where Rowe said he met electricians earning between $240,000 and $280,000 a year without college debt. He noted that many had been hired multiple times within a short period.
Electricians are among the most in-demand roles, with hundreds of thousands of workers needed in the coming years. According to a Fortune report, an estimated 300,000 new electricians will be needed over the next decade, this in addition to replacing roughly 200,000 upcoming retirees.
Rowe said the job market is changing, with more focus on skills rather than degrees.
“This is the trap and it’s so easy to fall into it,” he said, adding that dividing jobs into “blue collar versus white collar” is no longer relevant.
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