Mike Rowe on well-paying dirty jobs & male decline

The country's favorite blue-collar champion calls attention to the 'skills gap' and asks why young men spend so much time online.

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Mike Rowe is a bestselling author, Emmy winner, and podcaster best known for his stint hosting The Discovery Channel's long-running Dirty Jobs, where he performed the sort of work we all rely on but don't want to think about too much.

From cleaning septic tanks to putting hot tar on roofs to disposing of medical waste, he's done it all—and loves to talk about the value of the hard, honest work that he thinks is devalued by a society fixated on sending everyone to college. I caught up with Rowe at FreedomFest, an annual gathering held this year in Memphis. 

We talked about how his mikeroweWORKS Foundation matches young people interested in learning trades with employers dying for applicants, why men continue to fall farther behind women in school and work, and how Knobel Whiskey, named after Mike's maternal grandfather, is fueling his nonprofit's impact.

Music Credits: "Robot Revolt," by Alex Growl via Artlist.

[kimj]

I LOVE that line, "If these are the snowflakes, where are the clouds from which they fell? That would be us." Over the years, kids have never changed. The parenting has changed, and that is where we need to focus our attention.

[bravofighter]

After 40 years of work, 30 in the trades, when people treat my crew like shit, I say “Great, do it yourself, we’re the last in this trade left in this region! Call the office and settle up with the boss.” It’s all fun and games until we get the call back and the apology for treating tradesmen like slaves, and the price goes up.

[hoosierdaddy]

Bought my daughter a "needs lots of love" car for $1. Decided that she needed to learn how to change a tire, oil, etc while rebuilding the suspension on the car. She turned into my little grease monkey and helped with everything else. Now at 20 y/o she's working as a mechanic. So proud of her!

[laurettarivers]

My son hated school and honestly they really were letting the boys down. Thankfully he found his niche and is currently working on a tug boat at a very active port. I am so proud of him!

[reygunz]

I started as a blue collar in adulthood. Never hated the actual work. Sometimes it was fulfilling. Sometimes it sucked. But what made me leave were the people who worked in those jobs. There was major protectionism on their part, always wanting to keep me ignorant so that I couldn't pull my weight. Worse and more consistently, I was yelled at for any mistake I made no matter how significant. After trying for so long, I decided to go to college. Don't regret it. Trade employers, treat your up and comers well or you're going to continue to lose them.

[poboyfloyd]

People are TIRED of being treated like cattle. Period.

[marcusmoonstein]

Three years into a four year university degree I realized I had chosen the wrong field. I finished the degree rather than waste the three years I had already invested, but immediately on graduating I signed up for another two years to learn a trade. I was amazed at how much money a good tradesman can make if you run your own business and work hard. I had a nice house in the suburbs fully paid off by the time I was 35. I never regretted becoming a blue-collar tradesman instead of a white-collar professional.

[exothermal.sprocket]

I started in my craft (mechanical engineering) in about 2001.
I was fired from 8 years employment just last month, after about 3 years of horrific conditions from management.
All I want from this stinking corporate society is respect and loyalty from management. JUST VALUE YOUR EMPLOYEES, GET OFF OUR BACKS, LET US DO WHAT WE KNOW.
Some of us have no desire to manage or run our own businesses. There is such a thing as servanthood workers, who will be your most trusted, loyal, reliable employees, who work really well doing this. But when management greed and disregard becomes more and more normal, do you want us to wipe off the muck, get back up, and repeat the situation we've been subjected to about 8 or 10 times in the last 2 decades?
Underappreciated.
Underpaid.
Under-incentivized.
Un-promoted.
And blamed for all of it.

[Homeinmygardenwithmydog]

55 years old. Adding that for perspective. I went to college, ran out of money. Joined the Navy. Got money for college. Finished college with a BA in Social Psychology. Didn’t want to go to law school or grad school so it was pretty worthless as degrees go. Two years out of college I joined an Electrical Apprenticeship. 4 years later, turned out as a Journeyman. 4 years as a Journeyman, I got my contractor’s license at 35 years old. I have no employees. I make my own schedule. I own everything and have no overhead. I work three days a week. I make GREAT money. I’m a Union contractor so my benefits come through the IBEW. Good luck finding that kind of work life balance in ANY corporate or professional gig.

[williamsmith]

As a Black Male turning 43 years old next month I can say we were screwed by our educators. They may have meant well but they pushed good grades saying this will get us out of slavery. But in reality tradesmen get paid more, they are in higher demand, and they can even work independently as business owners.

[swampcastle]

I'm a firm believer in doing it myself because frankly I'm sick and tired having to save up a week or two of pay in order to pay some else to do the work in a day or two, especially when I can do just as shitty of a job for free.

[ryanhamstra]

“Find something you’re good at and figure out how to love it” is some of the best advice out there. The amount of people that get to take what they love and are passionate about and turn it into a job are very few. Plus, if you turn your hobbies into work, you no longer have any hobbies.

[timothyrakstang]

Love Mike Rowe and I’m with him on almost everything. But i think its time for a millenial to interview him. Too many gen x and boomers interview him and ask the same questions but they dont go the distance with those questions or highlight what millenials and gen z are actually experiencing on the ground. Its a different world. Things are very different and i think that you’re not going to get these questions asked or answered until you start getting that generational perspective.

[sebholding]

Let's not forget that before smartphones and Netflix, people of his generation spent a shitload of time watching tv and drinking at the bar

[CrustyOldDave]

Turned 50 this year. Never was good in school, 6 years to get through high school. I worked in the food service industry for 7 years, moving to Mechanical, Manufacture home electrical, Silicon Wafer manufacturing, Security, back to Manufacturing, Hazmat truck driving, to chemical manufacturing tech. I have a year of college in automotive, a year in IS, and half a year in welding. I currently have a job that pays a solid 6 figures and am part of a chemical response team that covers 7 states. Having been pushed my entire adult life to go to college, it saddens me that the opportunities that have brought me to this place in my life are not really available for the generations after mine. Mike is changing that I feel. But hey, I'm just a slow, uneducated individual, what the heck do I know. Peace and love all.

[Pendji]

Two media personalities talking about a hard day's work.

[toddtheisen]

Started as an auto mechanic. Went to meatpacking. Now work in a chemical plant. Wish I could go back and tell 18 year old myself to go to college. I'd have less scars, a less destroyed back and knees. Less debt because wages did not go up for forty years. Pushing sixty and I realize the "work ethic" mantra was all a scam.

[regulaueli]

It's really wonderful to come across people who freely share valuable information online. You never know what kind of knowledge you might stumble upon that could have a lasting impact on your life.

[DavidWitkowski]

Not sure my fellow Coast Guard vets would agree that it's the "safest" service. Anyone who's had to pull a family off a sinking boat in the middle of a storm understands the origin of the saying, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back". Semper Paratus.

[PB-orfd]

A lot has been done. They have reintroduced trades classes to many High Schools throughout the country and more are being added every year. It's getting better.