CNN’s Mike Rowe: Michigan Must Change Perceptions of Skilled Trades

Skilled trades can play a vital role in Michigan and the United States’ continued economic comeback, according to Mike Rowe, host of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and former host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs

Rowe said parents and school counselors across the country continue to place too much emphasis on four-year degrees as the only path to success, creating a negative perception of blue collar workers among youths.

“There’s this constant balance that goes on between the definition of a good job and our understanding of a truly valuable education,” Rowe said. “Not all knowledge comes from college, but not all skills come from degrees.”

To address the shortage of skilled trades in Michigan, Rowe said leaders must have a “peripeteia” and embrace a public relations campaign that portrays tradesmen in a positive light as “working smart and hard.”

Click here to read an article in the Detroiter on Rowe’s efforts to shatter misperceptions on skilled trades.