Young adults show little interest in Vocational Jobs – because they haven't been exposed to them in school
AUSTIN, Texas (Texas Insider Report) — “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe often mentions a statistic that I have previously documented. It's the disturbing number of able-bodied men – 6.8 million of them, in fact – that are not working and not looking for work. This number of young men is unprecedented.
Rowe explains that if President Trump can reinvigorate the manufacturing sector, the increase in new jobs will pose a problem since we presently have 482,000 open positions in manufacturing already.
Adding another 2 or 3 million new jobs will pose a problem – a two-fold problem: a skills gap, and a will gap.Mr. Rowe points to a recent survey of 1,000 U.S.-based 18 to 20-year-olds that discovered three-quarters of them (74%) perceive a stigma with choosing a vocational school over attending a four-year college.
Put simply, young adults show little interest in joining the blue-collar workforce – because they have not been exposed to the industry in school.
Over the past few decades, School Administrators have taken shop classes out of our High Schools. This has robbed those young men of the opportunity to see what that kind of work even looks like.
Put simply, young adults show little interest in joining the blue-collar workforce – because they have not been exposed to the industry in school.
Over the past few decades, School Administrators have taken shop classes out of our High Schools. This has robbed those young men of the opportunity to see what that kind of work even looks like.
Instead, Rowe laments that we've told a whole generation of kids they must get a four-year college degree to be "successful."
The “Dirty Jobs” host warns that if President Trump’s tariffs bring manufacturing jobs back to America, those positions will be hard to fill. He was on the Theo Von Program to talk about the manufacturing industry.
It's time for educational leaders – and our nation's industry leaders – to change the country's current attitudes toward working in manufacturing.
It is also time to challenge pastors, parents, and other leaders to encourage this generation to develop a work ethic.
Kerby Anderson is host of the Point of View Radio Talk Show (over 180 stations) and also hosts Viewpoints, a daily commentary heard on over 480 radio stations. He holds masters degrees from Yale University (science) and Georgetown University (government,) and also serves as President of Probe Ministries..
