Let’s be honest—we’ve sold a whole generation of young Americans a bad bill of goods.
For decades now, the message has been loud and clear: If you don’t go to college, you’re not going to make it in life.
Meanwhile, millions of students have gone into debt chasing degrees they don’t need, for jobs that don’t exist.
Straight talk from Mike Rowe as he explains why our country’s focus must be on training our young people for trades rather than pushing them into a college degree they may never be able to use.
“We’ve got 7.2M men not participating in the workforce, and not looking for work.… pic.twitter.com/DrAa7GhcE0
— Farm Girl Carrie (@FarmGirlCarrie) May 28, 2025
Mike Rowe, the guy from Dirty Jobs, has been sounding the alarm about this for years.
And guess what? He’s still right.
Rowe says the problem is two-fold.
First, we’ve got 7.2 million men in this country not working—not retired, not disabled, not even looking. Just out.
Second, we’ve got 7.6 million open jobs—jobs that don’t require a four-year degree. Jobs that are sitting empty because we’re not training people to do them.
And the cost of this nonsense? Try $1.7 trillion in student loan debt.
That’s money borrowed for degrees that too often don’t lead anywhere useful.
Meanwhile, the trades—plumbing, welding, HVAC, electrical work—are desperate for workers.
Mike Rowe’s foundation, mikeroweWORKS, has been pushing back.
Since 2008, they’ve been giving out scholarships to help young people learn skilled trades instead of wasting time and money chasing degrees they don’t need.
Here’s the truth: the country doesn’t run on PhDs. It runs on people who build, fix, clean, wire, and haul. People who don’t need a cubicle to contribute.
The guy fixing your AC probably makes more than the guy with a sociology degree working at Starbucks.
It’s not just Rowe saying this, either. Data backs him up:
- Lincoln Tech reports that skilled trades are seeing major shortages across construction, health care, and manufacturing.
- WorkRise Network found that student debt hits working-class and minority families the hardest—and especially when those degrees don’t lead to real employment.
- And BLS stats show vocational training can get people into the workforce faster, with less debt, and often with better pay.
So why are we still pushing college as the only path to success?
Because somewhere along the line, we made “working with your hands” sound dirty.
We told kids that being a mechanic or a welder meant they somehow weren’t smart enough. That trades were second-class.
Rowe isn’t asking for special treatment for trade workers. Just a little respect—and some honest conversation about what actually works.
The solution? Start in high school.
Bring back vocational programs. Fund apprenticeships.
Stop throwing billions at broken university systems that crank out debt instead of jobs.
Most importantly, let young people know they have options.
Some argue trades are too hard on the body; others that college still offers a “well-rounded” education.
That’s fine—for some people.
But forcing every kid down that path, no matter their interests or talents, is short-sighted.
We don’t need more gender studies majors. We need linemen, machinists, diesel mechanics, and nurses.
If we want a strong economy, we need to get serious about rebuilding our workforce—and that starts by respecting hard work, not shaming it.
If we really care about freedom, prosperity, and opportunity, it’s time to stop worshipping college and start investing in real skills.
Because the American dream shouldn’t come with a $100,000 bill and no paycheck in sight.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
