Mike Rowe: Skills gap, job openings a 'reflection' of what America values
FOX Business' 'How America Works' host addresses how American businesses are suffering from vaccine mandates.
As American workers are leaving their posts due to coronavirus vaccine mandates, the country’s gap in filling essential jobs worsens and FOX Business’ "How America Works" host Mike Rowe says it’s no secret why.
Rowe told "Fox News Primetime" that the issue has always lied in what Americans value, which includes turning a blind eye to blue-collar careers.
"There’s something in us… where we begin to resent the very thing we rely upon," he said. "This whole problem, this disconnect, this skills gap – 11 million open jobs – this isn’t a mystery. This is a reflection of what we value."
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The MikeRoweWorks CEO explained that a majority of his career has been tapping Americans on the shoulder and bringing workers to the forefront who are "out of sight, out of mind."
And as the airlines are currently taking a hit, facing major staffing shortages and slowing down travel times, Rowe countered that the country has been disconnected from these behind-the-scenes jobs being impacted.
"We’re not properly gobsmacked when we turn on the switch and the lights come on or when we flush the toilet and it all goes away," he said. "And it’s not a great mystery why our kids aren’t eager to fill these positions. We take them for granted ourselves."
Rowe agreed that current leadership has not taken into consideration how policies will influence day-to-day operation. And while America’s parents will show graciousness toward blue-collar business, they neglect to encourage their own children to seek trade careers.
"They’re not quite so sure that there’s a six-figure career in welding," he said. "Well, guess what? There is."