-->Mike Rowe Speaks To Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
8:56 am | 5/12/11
Mike speaks to the Senate and shares his views on jobs, the skills gap, manufacturing and he announces the “Discover Your Skills” initiative and more.
Click here to watch Mike’s speech.
Read Mike’s Oral Testimony here.
Locate links to more articles and videos here.
Read Mike’s article “Get Ready to Get Dirty” here.
Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs speaks to Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and it rings a bell with me. He talks about his Granddad being a jack of all trades. I have a Dad, Uncles and Granddads and not to mention, a father in law, who all fit the same mold, A job needed to be done, and they did it. No instruction manual, no internet, just go out and get it done. The following are a few key points Mike makes in his brief testimony to the committee with my comments. I hope you had the privilege to have one of these "magicians" that Mike mentions in your life. I will be forever influenced by these magicians and I am very thankful for that.
• I am more of a guest. I am more of an apprentice.
Humble is the word that comes to mind in his reference here. Always willing to learn more and giving credit where credit is due.
• Tell you about my grandfather – Jack of all trades
Did you have someone like this is your life? I hope you did. I was very fortunate to have several people who I feel fall into this category. They had such knowledge about so many things. Where did this knowledge come from? Experience, plain and simple. They were what we want our students and children to be today: Life long learners. They learned each and every day of their lives. Days were not made up by watching TV, but by learning by doing and most often it was by helping others in a time of need.
• Remember him mostly as a magician
It was amazing to me watching these gentlemen in my life do their craft. How did they do that? It appears right before my eyes just like the bunny out of the hat.
• Invited to about 12 hours of forced labor
I remember those times when I was "invited" out to help. I would never have consider not to be involved much less challenged them not to help. Many times the job would extend into longs hours of work but the time together seems so precious now as I look back.
• One of my Favorite days ever
I can still remember working on the three wheeler in the drive of the house, putting in the basketball goal in the backyard, thawing the pipes in the dead of winter because we need to have running water for the house, working on the tractor or plow that had broken down, etc.
• I had been disconnected from what used to fascinate me.
Are you disconnected? Do you just leave a check on the counter for the plumber? Who is he or she? Do you know them? Would someone you love learn and cherish the time that it would take to fix the problem at hand?
• I believe we need a national PR campaign for skilled labor.
America needs to be fixed. Education needs to be fixed. Not everyone is going to go to University for a degree. Skilled labor is important and needs to be valued not by our pocketbook but by the schools, parents and legislatures.
• Reconnect the country
Let's go build some relationships. Build some memories. Create some magicians for the future.
• Skills gap is real and getting wider
• Progress often is slowed due to lack of skilled workers
• Vocational arts have been vanished
• How can high unemployment can exist at the same time as skill labor shortage.
Many people find this very surprising. Our skilled worker force continues to get older and decrease in size. Who will fill their shoes when they are no longer there?
• Vocational consolation prizes for those that are not cut out for four year college.
Many people, including administrators at our schools, feel that vocational school and skilled labor is settling for something less than what our children are cut out for. Skilled labor built this country and we continue to need skilled labor and will always need skilled labor. Students should be exposed informed and educated about the possibilities in these careers.
• Guys like my granddad are no less important today
In fact they are more important today than ever before.
• Close the skills gap
How do we go about doing this? Change our programs! Inform students! Demand changes to our programs for our students.
Ira Morgan, Jack Morgan, PK McPearson, John Bates, ________________
Can you fill in the blank with a name who was a magician?
I hope you had the privilege to have one of these "magicians" that Mike mentions in your life. I will be forever influenced by these magicians and I am very thankful for that.
Thank you to my magicians for being so passionate about learning as a life long passion. We need to take some lessons from the simpler days.
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