One of the biggest laments in the US construction industry is finding people who want to do the work and do it well. Construction company owners, as well as those in other trades, now have a champion for the cause: Mike Rowe. After spending nearly a decade on the road, engaging in 300 “dirty jobs” for his former television series of the same name, Rowe is tackling what is arguably the “dirtiest” task of all: changing the American perception toward the hard work of skilled labor. His mikeroweWORKS Foundation, founded in 2008, is a full-blown public relations campaign designed to reinvigorate the trades and bolster alternative education options.
Through the foundation, Rowe is raising money for scholarships for young men and women demonstrating an aptitude and interest in mastering a skilled trade. Qualified candidates are students partway through an accredited trade school or apprenticeship program and in need of financial assistance. mikeroweWORKS has partnered with companies large and small, as well as the Boy Scouts of America (which has honored him as a Distinguished Eagle Scout), Skills USA, and Future Farmers of America, in an effort to promote the trades. This year, Rowe’s foundation will award $2 million dollars in trade school scholarships based on work ethic. In his advocacy role for the trades, Rowe has testified before both houses of Congress. He speaks regularly about the widening skills gap, apprenticeship programs, and the dangers of college debt.
What He Does Day to Day
In addition to overseeing his foundation’s activities, Rowe continues his work as a narrator, public speaker, writer and starting production on his new show called “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” debuting this fall on CNN. “Like Dirty Jobs, no two days are the same, and none of them are average,” says Rowe. “A few weeks ago, for instance, I narrated an episode of Deadliest Catch. After that, I had a meeting with the CEO of Bechtel, who expressed an interest in supporting the Foundation, and another meeting with Caterpillar, who’s been a great partner around the whole area of tech recruitment [through another initiative in which Rowe is involved, Profoundly Disconnected]. Then I had a beer with a guy who is helping me assemble an association of trade schools with extraordinary placement results. Pretty cool! Then I shot an episode of C.R.A.P. Crap? That stands for Collectibles, Rare And Precious. “I’ve been auctioning off the crap in my garage I accumulated from Dirty Jobs on eBay,” Rowe explains. “It’s a fun way to raise money for the scholarship fund. And get free press. And clear out my garage.”
What Led Him to This Work
Although Rowe is the most visible advocate for skilled labor in the country, by his own admission, he wasn’t given the “handy” gene. His hit show, Dirty Jobs, changed his life, not only professionally, but personally. “The show relied completely on companies and entrepreneurs who let me document the dirtiest aspects of their operation,” says Rowe. “That was risky. I thought it might be worthwhile-or at least polite-to give something back to the industries that allowed Dirty Jobs to succeed.”
What He Likes Best About His Job
“It’s better than fun,” Rowe says of his work. “It’s gratifying. Dirty Jobs was a tribute to my granddad, the greatest tradesman in the history of the world. mikeroweWORKS feels like a worthwhile legacy of the show. Eventually, I’m gonna need to get an actual job, but for now, this suits me just fine.”
