Mike Rowe: This story is everywhere, and it's not being covered | Brian Kilmeade Show
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Mike Rowe joins 'The Brian Kilmeade Show' to explain why America is going to have lots of unemployed people who aren't trained for the jobs that exist. #FoxNews
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It started with no child left behind in 2000. As a teacher I witnessed cut backs on tradeschools, high schools not offering mechanics, or shop classes or home economics. We now have young adults who have no life skills. Their parents taught them next to nothing, now we have a mess.
A mess, indeed.
Not me tho
Thanks George Bush
👏👏👏 EEEEEXAAAAACTLY!!! I've been saying this for 20 yrs also!! ☹😡 We are now just a part of a clown show!! 🤡🤡🤡
It started WAAAAYYYY before that. In the 90's all our high school guidance counselors wanted was the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Literally they wanted to be able to say" he " we went to high school here....
I had a young guy show up to clean my carpets a couple of months ago. He was on-time and did a real good job and did not waste time on his cell phone. When the job was over, I commended him for his work. He said he was very happy with his new job and further added that his boss was proud of him for showing up and being pleasant to his customers. Looks like his boss found a winner.
Had a plumber do some work for me last week. Young man, on time, personable, etc. Finished on time, left the area clean, summarized everything he did in such a way that I understood what he described. I paid on the spot and gave him a tip in cash.
That worker has always existed. 99.9% of the time we're prevented from working because these types of contractors always turn us away. People then act like we're lazy and don't want to work which is simply not true. The only reason thousands of people like me do not have jobs is because of these snakes for contractors who outright refuse to even allow us to prove ourselves. After refusing to hire, they complain they can't find workers.
@@TLgamer_TL I got out of the trades because of this, everyone wanted me to work for nothing, or they hired illegal aliens at less than minimum wage, doing horrible work. They don’t want to pay a professional what he’s worth, they think an experienced carpenter who can run a job is expendable, they think anyone with no experience can do it. I went to a tech school and got a degree in computer science, and doubled my pay the first day on the job! A job that was way easier and requires far less experience than a carpenter. A real shame, I actually enjoyed carpenter work.
@@alphagt62 Side job , start your own LLC ?
@@alphagt62 yeah you could tell this "contractor" was not very educated and probably hires drunks and druggies and wonders why they don't come to work.
I was a bricklayer like my father back in the 70s. I decided to go back to school and became an Electrical Engineer. I learned 50 years ago that as a bricklayer I would not earn enough to buy the houses I was working on or have enough skill to work in the office buildings I was helping build. Today no bricklayer, framer, concrete worker, roofer etc earns enough to live in my neighborhood. I completely understand why they are checking out. They see a system which doesn't accept them as a member. Every year more people just give up. It's a sad case but the America I grew up in is gone. We have a government which is too stupid to run a hotdog stand trying to regulate a 7 trillion dollar budget. They line their own pockets and pretend they are putting in a life of "PUBLIC SERVICE". What a disgrace.
Best posting so far. Someone should distill all these posts into an analysis of the problems and the solutions, as it is all here in the comments.
I thought tradesmen are well paid. How much do bricklayers get paid?
I was a master Hvac contractor for 35 years, i made well over 100,000 a year. I've seen hvac companies starting people at $80000. I retired at 58. So i don't know who you talked to.
holy sh*t, preach.
@@Dennis-dv4zx That is very very rare
Im 22 years old and just enrolled in job corps about 6 months ago, currently working towards my certification in Building Construction Technology. I was tired of working job to job for such little pay knowing I could be putting the same effort into learning a trade. But I tell you, goin to Job Corps is probably the smartest move I’ve ever made. We learn just about everything ( plumbing , carpentry, HVAC, flooring, basic tools, forklifting, excavation, you name it). Pretty much the jack of all trades. They also have other trades such as painting, culinary, business and many more based on location. But guys I highly recommend it for any adults wanting their children ages 16-24 to get their foot in the door.They even provide free meals, housing, transportation and diplomas as well as placing you in a job once you finish. Coming from a small town just outside of Atlanta, I can say it was not an easy transition but it was definitely worth it. Just a heads up👍Wish me luck.
Good luck!
Good job dude. We need more like you. I wish you the best!
Good luck, I commend your intelligence and and go get it attitude!
Remember the 3 S’s. Show up (on time) Shut up (All conversations should be job completion minded) Stay busy…of course in the job force the S that nobody wants to admit Screen (in other words, drug free) Best of luck to you
Good work! You’ll do well in life
I work part time in a grocery store deli and I have my own handyman business. At the deli that I work at, there's this 84 year old woman. She's always there, never calls in, works harder then all of the younger kids and as always the last one to leave. They just don't make them like they used to.
Having work ethic is good but it doesn't make you a good person nor better than anyone else.
@@codyjones4199 From what I've learned from talking to her, she's loaded. She has like 3 or 4 houses. I think she's just enjoys working.
And that old lady doesn't make any more money, nor a livable wage.
@@aakburns She’s alive, so she must make a livable wage. What a dumb comment.
@Cody Jones Sometimes the satisfaction of good hard work done is ‘something to show for it’. Even if it’s not much, at least it’s earned.
I'm a 46 year old trim carpenter with 22 years experience. When I go into a home, the electricians, plumbers, HVAC, and painters are usually all there. At 46, I'm often the youngest guy on site. A kid coming out of high school could learn any of the trades and in 10-15 years charge whatever he wanted because the demand will be there with nobody to do it.
Told my son this and that is what he did(28yrs old) He can already basically "right his own ticket" and owns his land, home, cars, etc outright.
Agree 100%
IMMIGRANTS ARE HERE TO STAY BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T WANNA DO THE JOB.🤣😂🤣😂....BRING THEM ALL IN NOW!!!👍😁👍
@@guyguyver7552 100% 50 % of the Force is all Immigrants Russdian Boznians Mexicans. Can't blame them they show up they work hard and they do it cheap.
@@MDAdams72668 Write his own ticket" not right his own ticket. Also your son was given the opportunity to do it, whenever people like me and the thousands of others were showing up interested and willing to work, we were all brushed aside and ignored. We were all literally prevented from working by these self righteous assholes. Sorry but after the treatment of people who did want to work they ignored, they do not get to complain they now cannot find any workers.
It astounds me how many people deny what I just said doesn't or didn't happen and then blame us (The exact people they want) and saying we weren't being helped back by anyone..YES WE WERE...Now these asshats are regretting it.
These trolls don't get to complain after what thy did to us. They literally wrecked our life by not letting us work.
I am a 68 woman who works as a waitress at a restaurant, been there for 8 years and i love my job the good the bad and the rude customers. Living in Houston texas I make an hour drive for work. I am there everyday and will pull doubles. Always at work never late give great customer service. Two months ago I applied at two restaurants that were hiring, but i never was offered a job, comments were made, well servers cant sit down if they get tired and the other restaurant never called. These two were close to my home. After a couple of weeks I went to check the restaurants out and well I guess I was too old because all I saw were young girls working there. No experience with customers some servers were rude but i guess they just want young pretty ladies. Well I may be a senior but I can guarantee that I can still run circles around those young ones. It is their loss not mine.
I am a retired industrial arts teacher. My son and my grandson grew up around my home garage shop, learning to use the tools. My grandson went to SUN tech his senior year of high school for welding. He was blessed to have an excellent teacher, Jamie Kotarsky. He then went to Penn College of Technology and graduated with associate degrees in welding and metal fabrication. He was hired by JLG before he graduated and earned a promotion and 50% raise after 7 or 8 months. They sent him to Chicago for training to program cnc lasers. He is the type of guy who will always be in demand because of his training and willingness to work and stay until the job is done. All this country needs is a few hundred thousand more young guys like him!
Amen!
With my father it was cars , trucks and machines, but my grandfather had a complete woodshop. Our first project together was building a step stool so I could reach the table and band saw, the router, and the belt sander.
You tell people that nowadays and they think it's crazy like driving around in your car without a mask
My late 2nd cousin, Jimmy, got into trouble in his late teens/early twenties hot wiring cars and joyriding.
He got sent to prison for a couple of years by a judge with no mercy (these days, he would have been given 6 months probation...), but while he was in there, someone took him under their wing and thoroughly taught him the welding trade.
Once he got out, got his first welding job and showed his mastery & work ethic, he never again lacked for work, money, or the things that those bring to a man.
His time cooped up gave him "itchy feet", so he liked to move around a lot, and travel a lot. He was so skilled and in-demand, he could go anywhere and have jobs *begging* him for his time, and willing to pay his rates.
A company in Hawaii found out he could, and would weld underwater. They flew him over and back, first class, rented him a cottage and a car, allotted him a weekly meal budget, and paid for him to be taken out marlin fishing, sightseeing, etc... every couple of weeks.
On top of all that, he earned a very high wage, because when he was working, he went until the job was complete, and when the job was done, they knew it would pass any/every inspection, and would last better than anyone else's work.
He passed away about 20 years ago, and it's hard to impossible to find men who work like that these days. What a shame.
"All this country needs is a few hundred thousand more young guys like him!"
Those young guys are needed elsewhere. The government needs them for
the perpetual, senseless wars abroad as bullet stoppers.
Problem is, you sold him on the industry of nothing. I'm a welder by trade as well as operate CNC VMCs (self taught CAd software where I've patented my own product/design) and it's no longer require from employers to offer good pay for that industry. You would think employers would want well managed employees but that's not the case, temp agencies have destroyed the market for talent
I was an Industrial Maintenance Man for a major corporation for 42 years before I retired. I joined their in-house apprenticeship right out of high school and never looked back. About 15 years after I finished my apprenticeship they decided that they didn't need to train skill tradesmen in-house. Very soon after that, let's say 1990, or there abouts, every school started ditching their metal shop, wood shop, machine shop, general shop curriculum in favor of computer labs. By the time I was 5 years short of my company's retirement age I was offered, day after day, extra shifts at double time for every hour, that was like $70 per hour, for as many hours as I could work, all because the guys that trained me eventually retired and there were no new hires for me to train over my long career. Industrial Maintenance is a broad field, but also a specific field in the skilled trades. A pipe fitter can't do it, a carpenter can't do it, a welder can't do it, a plumber can't do it, a construction electrician can't do it, and this company had to resort to hiring these tradesmen to at least get a skilled worker of some kind to fill the vacant jobs that retirements created. I ended up with a pension that is equal to my 40 hour paycheck and I worked along side guys that were healthier than me that earned over $200,000 a year for the 5 years before they retired. That company has been scrambling for the last 5 or 6 years to build a training program to meet their skilled trades needs and they can't even find any takers. Nobody seems to want grime under their nails or grease and dirt on their arms. We are over run with *ussys.
I'm a 39 year old trucker after I retire from trucking - could be next 5 years - do you think that's too old to learn this trade?
I’m based in New York. Point me in the right direction Kim sir, because anything North of 80,000 dollars sounds fantastic to me. Light experience In plumbing and carpentry, Sheetrock etc…….
@@loveamerica3426 Nope. Go for it!
PUSSIES…. there, i corrected it for you
All those trades you mention rolled up into one person? Believe it or not, that’s me
About 7 years ago I had been unemployed for a while after being laid off...again (IT field). I looked at everything. I applied with the local IBEW to become an electricians apprentice. I filled out the miles of paperwork. Jumped through the hoops, crossed the T's, dotted the I's, paid the fees. Crickets. Nothing from them at all. I couldn't even get them to return a phone call. They were happy to cash the check for the application fee though.
I did the same with a few trucking companies, trying to get onto something, anything!
I just wanted to work and was in my late 30's at the time. I can only surmise they didn't want the "old" guy.
It's not just one direction. Employers need to change their hiring practices and who they look at. I still have decades of good work left in me. Give us a chance.
Yes, in the exact same situation. I wish they would talk about how our politicians sold out industries and hoops you have to jump through just to get an interview.
Yeah, I can relate. After my whole industry was shut down over covid, I spent over a year looking for work. Got lots of interviews, but every single one ghosted me except the last. And I've always had multiple offers come in every week, until now.
I did IT for several places. I'm guessing without knowing your skills that it's your resume that has to be the problem. I.T. is so broad when there's different areas of work within that field. If you are not getting anything at all after applying for several places each week then they are seeing something on your resume or application that throws up flags or something. Plus, some don't even look at it unless it triggers so many key words they consider important. The bigger the city the more IT jobs there are. Play the numbers game!
Best of luck in your search, you deserve it, theres a guy in the comments talking about security, reckons it's a stable industry with lots of work, might be worth a look, my heart goes out to you brother, dont give up.
I'm having difficulty, and I think it is because of my age, though no employer will EVER admit to it. I'm 69, and plan to work for several more years, because I've worked hard over the past 5 years to get healthier! I also know I have a great work ethic, and can run rings around folks half my age, which I did in my last job. But the employers will never know that because they don't even request an interview!
Brian, thanks to you and Mike for bringing this to light. I’ve been knowing something is seriously wrong, but didn’t realize exactly what was/is happening. I’m seeing it in the professional services as well. Companies I’ve dealt with for 15 years, used to be dynamite customer service. Now even those companies lost good employees during the pandemic, Probably people near retirement saying “it’s just not worth it”! Now, something that used to take 10 minutes and one call, can literally take all day or days into weeks to get anything done. Recently someone ran into my truck. It took me 6 calls to preferred body shops to get someone to even take it before June or at all. I’m almost 63 and I’ve never been so frustrated in my life/every day of my life.
Jerry a friend of mine had an accident in her Jeep and it sat at a body shop for 6 months supposedly waiting for parts. I finally told her to tell the shop that she would provide the parts and all of a sudden the parts became available. Hard to know who to place the blame on.
In my area (Northern BC), it's 8 months to book an appointment for auto body work. Then they source parts and fix it. Incredible! Young people, get a trade!!! It's a license to print money.
Me too. I’m 72. Asked the insurance company where I should send the bill since I was doing all the work to settle my claim. I never expected to have to deal with customer service reps so ignorant of things that were part of our elementary education. Bad attitudes, dumb and lazy.
I'm a licensed G C in 2 states. This story hits home. One thing you see now that you didn't see 40 years ago is 60-78 year old men working on construction jobs. 78 is the oldest I've seen and he was doing HVAC. Lots of 60+ including myself.
cause they had pensions. now they live paycheck to paycheck.
I’m a 53 yr old female that has been working with a general contractor. I out work every new guy and they normally don’t show up for day two ☹️
That's because the purchasing power of the dollar has been dropping since forty years ago. So much so that trades pay less today to do the same job back then.
The end result is not a surprise.
I am 67 years old and have two degrees. Going back to work because there's not enough disposable income for my wife and I even with some rental property. Plus $20 per hour to start isn't bad. I will likely be promoted quickly because I will show up and do the job well.
It's getting to where all of us old work horses are all that's left in our industries. Too many years of teachers and parents lying to the kids. Telling them they need a college degree to do anything.
I worked retail for 15 years and the revolving door of young workers was mind boggling...many would 'text' out sick or just not show. Some refused to work the register because of "anxiety" dealing with customers, Some refused to climb ladders because of "fear of heights " which left it to us older employees to pick up the slack... the list goes on and on.
Note: when lunching in the break room, we "elders" would laugh, joke, share our food, while the 'youngsters' sat in silence with their heads down engrossed in their cell phones. Very sad indeed.
I'm 24 and I hate my generation. It's not everybody but the majority are zombies.
It's amazing i'm still working and i'm 66 yrs old, the young guys don't want to handle stress or deal with less than happy customers. We older men carry the heavy weight, while these younger more energetic don't want to do any lifting (mental, phyiscal or emotional).
@@jeromerocha820 It's too bad. I am 62 and find that physical labor and using the old noggin is very important and fulfilling... keeps the mind and body in shape!
I hate running registers. 🤣
Lack of fathers with backbone
Love how this man encourages hard work but I’m tired of the government taking it
Imagine Canada, we pay 45% income tax. Everything else has a tax on top of it.
If you work overtime, it's taxed.. you work those extra hours for free...
YT blocking my comment if I try to tell ppl the truth! ! Get truth on the other sites and platforms! ! It'll get better because G o d is making it so. Pray, be thankful.
TAKING WHAT ?
So you see the scam and why it continues?
I'm tired of governments; governance is defined as control and rule, which has been practiced for who knows how long, and humanity hasn't really gotten better, people continue to be harmed by people, we still don't do the right thing or even acknowledge what the right thing is. Who's really all that reasonable, and who's addressing the fundamental core problem causing the majority of human caused problems?
I'm recently retired Master Plumber From New York. I was in business for 49 years. Had trouble with workers not showing up from Day one that i opened my place of business ! !
There is another issue that I'd like to see addressed is age discrimination. When I moved back to Michigan from Chicago, I was totally taken aback by the attitude of "If you are over 55 years old or older, don't waste your time applying for anything (with the exception of fast-food businesses - they have a turnover rate that is totally mind-boggling). I can't understand how or why businesses are so hesitant to hire older people. The attitude seems to be "we can't be bothered training you because you'll retire, and we will have spent time and money for nothing.) We may not be 25, but we have a lot of experience and have much to offer. Plus, we are through the child-rearing phase of life and are able to focus on our job. Yes, a lot of jobs are open, but they can't see beyond the age - and they are missing out on some of the best employees ever.
People with Gray hair are more reliable. Beings most people don't stay at jobs for long periods of time why would employers think super long term. If you were 55 years old and retired at 65 then that's 10 years they would never see out of a younger person.
Round here there’s family discrimination as well, if you don’t have a kid they don’t care about anything, if you do by chance get the job and want any kind of time off in the future not having a kid and having something to do isn’t a good enough reason, company threatened to fire me once over a doctors visit, this problem is just as important to fix, people want jobs not a prison sentence
Facts , I've seen this same mentality pulled towards working homeless.
Two Word Answer..... Insurance Costs! ( Health Insurance)
At least most older people go to work, not used to handouts
As a business owner of 17 very succesful years, i was devestated when Covid forced me to close forever and persue a different career....I worked hard 70 hour weeks and valued the lifestyle that it afforded me....but after watching my new workplace and its environment i was massively surprised at the lack of work ethic coming from the younger generations...
Stop saying it was Covid. It was the government.
@@nunyabusiness6691 if you dont mind me asking, why does him attributing his buisness closing to covid or government effect anything whatsoever?
@@PublicLightingandPower because it is critically important to understand this had nothing to do with the disease and everything to do with a globally planned confiscation of wealth and control
We've actually had meetings at my firm about the strange behavior and lack of ambition by Gen Z employees. They really are weird.
Try older employees for a change.
I remember going into Fry's electronics interrupting a group of 4 employees just BS'ing. I told them I was looking for a CCTV system in the $1500 range. One guy pointed in the direction and blurted out the isle, then turned around and continued to BS. There was actually too many choices and I did not feel like going through analysis paralysis, so I left. This was a few years back, but they knew it was a bigger purchase yet all of them chose to chat on the clock than help a customer.
And they went bankrupt shortly after that.
So many times, you invest time into people's questions on a high ticket product.
Then they say," thank you," and more confidently buy it online/eBay/OfferUp.
As my grandma would say, " even a donkey learns to stop wasting time. . ."
I see that all the time at grocery stores. When I try to get staff to help me reach items that are placed on rediculously high shelves, the workers chat among themselves and refuse to acknowledge me or even make eye contact. Once, I asked a Walmart employee who was standing in the produce section chatting with another worker for help reaching a loaf of bread. She said that wasn't her department, even though it was only about 15 feet from her, she refused to help.
If it was a desk fan, a desk or even an entire entertainment center they don't get treated better for being more kind to you. Just as if you scolded them or thanked them its left redundant.... so they think why put more effort.
Lazy, they got a participation trophy. Same with work. A paycheck for showing up.
Mike Rowe is spot on in his comments. My son has his own construction business for 20 yrs now. He has 2 good employees now whom he works along side, because he has too. He has had trouble finding help. He has a guy in his 60's that helps him occasionally & he says this guy works hard when on the job! My son doesn't know how the guy can do it knowing how my son's body is feeling the aches & pains from the physical work.
When my son came to at the end of high school and told me he wanted to go to school to be a mechanic I couldn’t argue with his logic. He walked out of school after a year with a degree to be a diesel and heavy equipment mechanic into a 26 dollar an hour job with full benefits. I think that is pretty good for him being 19. I am proud of him and glad that he got a set of job skills that no one can ever take away from him.
It's the biggest single regret of my life. I did two years of diesel tech in high school and had a job lined up, building injector pumps after graduation but my parents wouldn't hear of it. I had to go to college which I did and then spent the rest of my life chasing meaningless corporate jobs and pay. Toward the end of my career I landed a job in shipping for a heavy equipment repair facility. I loved it! To be fair my dad was a machinist who escaped with a college degree. He knew how bad work in a shop could be, especially as you got older.
No one can take the skills but a couple of words of caution; first the field changes quickly so the skills might not be as useful in ten years as they are today even staying on top of them. The second is those skills are also useless without the proper tools and equipment which is getting harder to maintain and more expensive to procure. My dad is a mechanic, started around 1978 and back in the day he could fix most things with a pretty basic tool set. My husband is trained as a mechanic but not currently working as one. We wind up having to pay someone else for most things just because it doesn’t make sense to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for a tool you are going to use one time. It’s really obnoxious.
I worked for Rush Truck Centers after graduating from UTI. $18 was my hourly rate in 2018 North Florida working on diesel. Flat rate.
Shuttiest job I've ever had in my life with horrible customers, parts personel, and service crew.
My only wish is that they go bankrupt. I hate them all for the bs hey put level 1 and 2 mechanics thru. They deserve the shitshow they have in the mechanic world. No professionalism or courtesy just pure profits. F em.
If I may add my congrats. 19 yes old! He'll be a millionaire in his 40's if he spends his money wisely, invests regularly, doesn't get divorced, takes good care of his health.
He could go on his own and make 125 bucks per hour instead of the company getting that 125 bucks per hour.
I have taught classes on the college level for 33 years. I have seen a whole generation of students come through. The lack of work ethic from this younger current generation is carrying over into the classroom. It's scary.
Well, if they don't complete their work satisfactorily, you fail them. That's the BIG life lesson no longer being taught to my satisfaction! Failure is a far greater teacher than any participation trophy could ever be. The so called "woke" NEAA needs to be put back on track immediately! Focus should be on the three R's, not the ltbg...... whatever! A one celled amoeba has it's priorities in better order than Mainstrean Acadamia. That's a Fact!
This administration has devalued work.
@Jim Eric yes,, you are correct on all. teachers union helps push the lefts agenda. Is amazing how quickly the country has gone south. And people just voted for it to continue.
We can thank places like UA-cam for it
Where does this mentality come from? The boomers who ruined the world for the youth of today
I am 74 years old. I started working in my father’s service station when I was 9 years and 10 months old. In the 1960s I started worked as a metal fabricator. That means I was a certified welder in stick, MIG and in TIG welding. I have welded just about every known weldable metal there is. I also did machinist trade work as well as sheetmetal work. I made parts from everything from forklifts to holding tanks to food processing to air craft I even made parts that are on the Voyager1 and 2. During the 1970s even having the skills I had I was laid off 17 time in a 10 year period. That was because I worked in job shops. I worked for Gallo Winery in maintenance on their equipment from 1996 to 2013 when I retired when I turned 65. As so as I retired I started getting phone calls asking me to work for them. So after a few short months I returned to work in a meat processing factory designing and building equipment for their company. Machines to process and to transport from one area to another. Equipment to cook large amounts of meats. Equipment to package ETC. After around 5 years that job was complete so I was laid off. And the calls came again and I found myself at a pickle and condiment processing plant. I worked there for 3 years at 72 years old I retired again. Then moved out of California to Washington State. Been here close to two years and I am building handrails here on Grays bay for people so they can get down the huge rocks that are in their back yards to keep the water erosion down. The large rocks have some that are set up like steps so they can get down to the beach area in their back yards. So to me to not be working is not what I can do. To work (to me) is to be alive. To crate is what make life worth getting up in the morning for. Hope you see this Mike Rowe. P.S at one time in my life I was a welding instructor one of my favorite jobs. Also I have done many other skills and jobs in my life. So I still find things to do to build and make things. even at 74 with one knee that was replaced, diabetes and the aches and pains that go along with three quarters of a century. GOD bless you Mike.
Fantastic. I started at my dad's service station when I was 8. My older brother did the same thing. I've been remodeling houses for the last 25 years and love it!!
Rock on dude. This new generation is useless so far
You are the coolest, carry on.
Good one Gregory. I am 74 and someone hired me this summer near one of the largest lakes in America. I’ve been a carpenter and painter and these guys loved me and only had me painting this summer because they couldn’t find anyone to show up and work and finish the jobs. I’m going back next summer to work some more at about #40.00 an hour. It’s amazing to me. That’s how i have done fairly well most of my life by just showing up. I’m not a big time contractor and happy to say I’m just one of those ordinary folks that God made so many of LOL ✌️🇺🇸
Same, My brother and I always picked berries in the summer for play money, I was hooked on physical labor, I loved it, I have done it all from city park maintenance to nuclear power plants, I've dug swimming pools, built and designed offroad race trucks, even skyscrapers, I've worked in 120° on 15 acres of black top and also -28° with snow drifts. Welding has takin me up and down the west coast and I have also ended up in WA. I was injured and can't work as I use to but every chance I get I'm out in the garage building something. I even raised 2 daughters for the last 16yrs all on my own while doing all this. I feel worthless at times but looking back at my accomplishments helps me move forward.
I'm in San Clemente CA. Just spoke to an A contractor today who said the profit margin is 6%. He doesn't know how people can do it. He had a crew of 20 people circa 2020. Now a crew of 4. Lean and mean, he isn't hiring anybody.
WAY bitd (I'm 56) in 6-8th grades, every student rotated through PE, music, art, shop class and home economics for 3 years. It was fantastic and needs to be brought back everywhere.
Everybody learned things they loved/hated but definitely helped prepare for life, whether that was talking about art, using a hammer or frying an egg.
It was the same in high school. Our shop classes were auto repair & body, woods, metal, small engines and electronics.
Now after an entire generation and a half have graduated there has been talk here of bringing back shop classes.
Exactly. A rounded education in America would certainly cut down on Fox News watching morons.
When you learn the ethic of doing well the things you dont want to do, there will be less of the sissy idea of men saying "I need to find meaning in what I do". I remember hearing that crap as some men went aimlessly through different jobs.
I graduated in 2002. When I got to high-school I was so excited to take shop. They shut it down the year before
They only hire mental health counselors now. Lol. That wouldn't be the case if they had Art, Home Ec and Shop classes.
I love Mike Rowe. If he says anything, you can take it to the bank. My husband started out as a toolmaker/machinist, went to
school for special machines design and then retired at 55 as a mechanical engineer from Chrysler.
So he did something completely impossible today and without having to wear a mask or take experimental shots.
@Chris Swenson what’s wrong with them? Certainly better than ford I can assure that, ask me how I know
I used to be a school teacher in Oklahoma. I would flunk students who almost never showed up for class, yet they would still end up on the principal's honor roll, which means they made all A's and B's. I asked the principal about it and he literally ignored me and walked away. This is how kids learn they don't even have to show up.
THAT'S INSANE!!!
Corruption in the school system
Social promotion was supposed to be a thing of the past.
Sounds like he got bribed. Or just wanted his numbers to look good.
@Tk Gunsmoke it's not right, but it's not an isolated incident. I have a friend who is a middle school teacher and she says they are told to give students a passing grade even if they are flunking
This is what happens when you take the trade schools out of the schooling system. That’s insanity.
I live in Ontario, Canada. We have a very similar problem. These kids struggle to do a load of laundry, or open a bag of chips. Just renovated my home. Did absolutely every single thing myself using skills I acquired over the years from hard work and determination. Society messed up big time, now its time to pay the piper.
The parents are at fault and of course cell phones
Mike you fill me with hope. I am 39 years old, and you and everyone commenting here have helped me realize that it's not too late to start over and follow my passion for woodworking.
Go for it! You can totally start a career in woodworking! You have 20 Solid years ahead of you. If you take good care of yourself possibly even 30
Lineman haus
You got this! 💪
Becareful brother I was in the trades over 20 years ago. Inconsistent work no benefits including vacation time. When they are say $25-$40 an hour that's without benefits. Research before you jump.
It’s like this everywhere! Canada too…a bakery that was around for 99 years closed here in Winnipeg (amongst many other businesses). The owner said that they couldn’t get people to show up for work at all, no matter what they paid. That’s what happens with UBI….
Well, the thing there is a bakery is likely not paying great money, and really, that's not the type of job you have for 15 years. It is an entry level job. That said, young people now seem more entitled to a higher wage when they absolutely are not. Get a skill that's in demand. If you don't, then you have no place to complain about low wages.
Kub was a Winnipeg institution :( Soon all we'll have is Wal-Mart and Amazon. It's basically already like that.
That's a LIE if he would pay decent money per hour he would not have any problem finding someone for work but the truth is they all want you to work for a min wage and expect god know what.
They paid minimum wage
@@mattm7798 I think what we’re seeing is that most jobs are in demand. Yes, some jobs are important, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else deserves pennies.
FAMILY VALUES ARE A EXCELLENT START TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER. Parents need to be PARENTS.
When our educators eliminated vocational programs in schools for high SAT scores this is the result. I'm a machinist with over 40 years experience. I retired and went back to work part time. One, because I missed it. And another because the skilled work force isn't there. And there is good money in knowing a trade. Most young people don't even know what a machinist does. Or a welder, electrician, carpenter etc.
I didn't find out about machining until I was in my late 20's. Turns out, I absolutely loved it and I should've been a machinist since I was 18. I'm now just finishing up my Tool and Die card. Kinda wish my high school guidance counselor could've caught that one...
I went to a trade school and went to straight to work in the electronics job I was trained for. At 17 I drove the 45 min trip to work and did not think a thing about it. That was about 45 years ago. Now I am a general contractor. Yes, I know 2 different trades. My classmates at my old trade school have gone on to do stuff that amaze the hell of me. Back then, we wanted to do big stuff.
Everybody wants to tell a military-EMT-Firefighter-police officer “Thank-you for your service”… as a former police officer, I’d like to say to you, Thank-YOU for YOUR service !!!
Absolutely! For the past 20 years, schools have pushed students into college, telling them that's the best option, no matter the major. Most school counselors don't know anything about earnings, trending jobs, etc., yet students are made to think they're less than if the opt for tech school.
It's poetic justice when that art history, English, women's studies, take your pick, is working at a call center because no jobs in their field and has to pay the plumber $80 hour to fix their toilet.
I owned a pool company for 20 years and worked in the business another 15. I'm so glad to be retired with the lazy young population. We worked hard and as Mike says, laughed hard all day long. It was a great life outdoors.
Just read some of the comments and it's easy to see why you and now I chose retirement. Crying they can't make a living working, so their alternative is don't work depend on the government. That's why PA went blue. It's become a state of generational welfare, and it's all races.
And you didn't drown in the pool.
Its hard to laugh nowadays if you get a minimum wage and you can't afford decent food on the table
Just remember these are the same people who will run the country
@@Voltomess blame the Fed on the rising cost of living. everyone freaks out over 8% for 1 year, but fail to remember we've had 2% inflation for 100 years. and we wonder why there is a wealth gap? THERE'S your answer.
This is what happens when self esteem is pushed over self respect. Self respect teaches respect for others, respect for opportunities, etc., but self esteem only teaches narcissism.
U said it best.
I was treated like garbage by my employers when I worked as a red seal journeyman plumber and journeyman class b gasfitter. I only work for myself now.
Start treating your workers with respect! Also start allowing workers to recover from workplace injuries!
I am now withholding my labour, out of principle. Plumbing made me permanently disabled by the age of 25. WCB denied all my injury claims. It took me over a decade to finally receive a diagnosis.
Skilled trades are getting away with killing their workers. I will not be a part of that any longer.
I am now a full-time University student, at the age of 39. I hope to one day find a safe and sustainable career..
A select few do "get it." A self-made millionaire where I used to work, understood well that "treat the employees well, and they will treat you well." Too bad more don't get this.
I always thought it was weird in the 2000s that teachers and parents pushed kids to go to university... we followed the advice thinking that was what we were supposed to do, study study study... but it was terrible advice that ruined the world. We have expensive pieces of paper that did nothing for us and we all realized we were all fooled. Our education system is the problem, lets be honest we all experienced that intuitive feeling sitting in class that "this is a waste of time, when I could actually be learning something useful" but we're told to sit down, stick with it and it'll pay off... and then we graduate "good luck!" and it's confirmed that we are useless people.
I was there I was told in school that I was so dumb that I can never do any job other than a garbage collector or a hamburger flipper so my mother pushed me to go to college which I did and I did extremely well in college in 7 years to graduate it with a degree that I am never using because I can never find a job with that degree I've worked tons of warehousing type work and now I am a commercial truck driver which I work extremely hard and still have no money so doesn't matter if you have the top degree and not making money you can also be a job that doesn't pay as much and cost less
Then you have no choice but to go on to grad school, incur massively more debt, but at least you end up with a job in your field (well, I did) but it doesn't mean happiness.
@@loydheatoniii2188, the irony is that most garbage haulers make more money than people with bachelor degrees.
And you know why? Unions.
All trades are heavily unionized. Office and other jobs that require degrees typically aren't.
thank you for saying what I've thought for a long time. I apply this to high school too. It was a wasted 4 years of my life, because it did not teach me any of the skills I learned in the past 48 years of my life., since graduation.
You have to have a viable plan like anything else. My degrees have paid for themselves MANY times over. Some of the degrees have little to no viable career opportunities to make the investment worthwhile.
My son, who is 26, just started with a local plumbing company as an apprentice. They are going to train him and send him for all his certifications. Yesterday was his first day and he said it was fantastic.
I’m 23 and started my electrian apprenticeship with a small company. So far it’s pretty fun way better then school, I hope he continues to enjoy it
This is awesome!! My 23 year old step-son is a full year into the exact same plumbing apprenticeship process and couldn’t be prouder. I was a 2000 HS grad and 2005 college grad. Let me tell you this, 17 years later, as an APPRENTICE, he’s already making more $$ than I am even WITH an applied sciences degree with one of the ABCD agriculture giants’ R&D department. I came from a family to where a college education and loan debt was an EXPECTATION. I passed that stress onto my step-son as he graduated HS. It took him a year and a half of college and struggles to finally find his knack and passion for a rewarding trade. My wife and I DID spend a lot of time pushing him to attempt a trade after college fell through for him. We’re all super stoked to see him feel happy and self-rewarding each and every day. He might complain he’s literally waist deep in $hit at times, but to hear him KNOW his future is super bright for the long term, couldn’t make us more happy for him. Good luck to you own kid!!🙏🤜🤛
that's fantastic I'm 28 and that gives me hope that one day ill be able to fulfill my dream of becoming an apprentice when schools over next year!
I started my plumbing apprenticeship one year ago at 22. It's a great job
“We went from a skill gap, to a will gap, and soon we’re going to arrive at a skill gap AND a will gap” 💯
Well California, Michigan and many other states are right to work.
That is what happens when the state takes over education, home life and the union's functions.
You see the bigs like making "the profit." They also don't like sharing it. They need villas in France or Italy to furnish with high end.
The old high end is getting tacky.
So how do you fix that? Get rid of cash. Why? Then you can upgrade your yacht.
You can't go out and hustle for cash if it is outlawed.
Oh and that plastic tracking device in your wallet and the electric one you talk on. Hey got to keep track of what the credit slaves and peons are doing.
Big money wins and the tax collectors love it too.
But at least Tim Cook will sell more new iPhones. If the Chinese make them.
In China they call it 'laying flat'. That is most likely why the lock downs are still going on. You want lay flat. I show you lay flat.
Ppl know robots will replace them, so they lost the will to keep doing it.
I’ve worked with guys in a university doing part time construction work that can’t read a tape measure…. How is that possible??
Mike is the reason I decided to get into the trades, HVACR technician. His words on recession proof work stuck with me as early as 15years old. Show up early, stay late, ask for more.(more work I mean)
Edit: I'm 26 now and the sheer lack of work ethic, selfishness, and level of entitlement among my generation and the one before me is disgusting.
Keep at it and use your money wisely. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!
@@johnnytacokleinschmidt515 thank you very much! I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving as well!
Ask for more money! Better benefits. You deserve better!
Keep up the good work!
Great pick, be proud!! BTW, how many of your slacker coworkers: 1. Live with their parents STILL, and 2. Are chronic with the Weed. ?
40 years ago you could work a regular job and have a nice life. Today a regular job can barely get the bills paid.
So staying at home is better? Are there too many entitlements?
not true, today at mcdonalds you can easily make enough to live on your own and pay the bills.
The definition of a nice life has changed. Expensive homes, cars, electronics, vacations etc, is what people think is important. The cost of those things have been determined to be “ nice life”.
@@bertblue9683 Bert you completely missed the point of his comment lol.
If you don't have children you can't afford you can definitely get by.
Mike Rowe is so genuine and honest, not to mention hard working. 🙏🇺🇸🙏
Get him in there for president of the workforce we need a new military branch
@@anslogarrick7638 I assume you mean something like the CCC. Good luck!
The guy was an opera singer and then made 30 million dollars for being a TV host that did menial labor three times an episode, while telling everyone else to do the same job for 20 years if they want to 'make it'.
What part of that is hard? I'd do *his* job in a heartbeat.
And good looking. Lpl
The problem I have is when you fill out a application no one is calling anyone back for a job. My two girls have applied at 15 different places and not one call. They all say they are hiring but are not.
My daughter encounters that also - and she's often told she's overqualified. So? Does that mean she couldn't do a good job?
@@lindickison3055 it’s terrible. I have never been told I was over qualified for the job. I never have had to fill out a application most of the time also. It’s a different day and age now.
I concur, I'm between jobs now and can not get anyone to call back. I'm ready and willing to work but not one company has called me back.
Job hunting has always been a numbers game. You dont stop untik you are on a payroll. Took months to find my first job
Quitting job hunt isnt an option unless you want to be a welfare slob or live in tent city
I'm 69 years old and retired but in defense of the young people jobs have no incentives anymore. I worked for General Electric and for decades if you had a job there you could plan on retiring with them and have a company pension plan. In the 1970's all that started falling apart. Big companies we're relocating to Japan for cheaper labor. I trained Japanese engineers how to build Air Conditioners my last year there because the company sold out to Trane and moved to Japan. Then by the 80's companies we're selling out and mergers were the thing. Big companies swallowing up the small ones. Everytime this happens employees are fired and either replaced or those jobs were deleted. We live in a world today where there is no job security anywhere. Forget about retiring from a company. That doesn't exist anymore. Those that want to work have to float from one company to the next never gathering any moss, benefits or promotions. Sad shape this country has become.
If possible be self employed save any money you can and do good work. Nothing like being your own boss. I did fine till I lost my business due to location being sold. Went into work force and found it hard to work under supervision that had no idea how to do the job. It was so hard to keep my opinions to myself as they would get rid if me as I was more experienced
@@billbammerlin4666 Yes. There's an old saying that goes "You'll never make more than your owner boss wants you to make." Well managed self employment and learning how to save money is the best option.
I lost my job in 1997 because it moved to Mexico.
I’m 75
@@janemay7181 Yes, Mexico is the current frontier. So sorry.
This is why my son went to career center for construction. And even though its still the beginning of his senior year he's already hot a job lined up as soon as he graduates. With a construction company that's like don't worry we'll train him as we go. As long as he comes to work and puts his all in it. We will teach him EVERYTHING!
An advice from a random person. Tell him to focus on 1 specific activity/skill and to research what he will need to do the labor on his own. That way he can decide how much his time and skill is worth and not have to give a cut of his money to others. It’s not that hard to find your own costumers if you are good at your job. 👍.
@@theone8594 Find that niche👍
He can learn on the job AND also take a few "trade" classes here and there to get a certificate or designation. I say "trade" because these classes can be in business as well. Then, if he wants, he can move up onsite to foreman or site superintendent THEN, if he desires and with the certificates, he can move into the office and become a Director or VP of construction and make BANK! I wish I would have know that when I was working on construction sites when I was young.
@@benniec14 Or restart his own company after a couple years, like I did.
@@erics3101 definitely. Will make more than working for a company plus have the schedule flexibility for personal use. (Down side is you have to spend extra time to talk with customers. )
This is because society looks down on all people who don't have college degrees and have white collar jobs. Plus the US government keeps advertising college, college, college. With all due respect not everyone is college material.
not true, getting a useless degree isnt going to help you at all. as a matter of fact when your going for your blue collar job with your degree your probably going to get laughed out of the building
Research who is running the financial funding for the college loans. College degrees are not getting jobs for a lot of people.
The government pushes for higher education because they know the high percentage of socialist/communist/Marxist professors will brainwash students into thinking government is the solution to every problem.
Not every college educated person is successful either!!!
And not everyone with a college degree has a good work ethic
You can find this even in smaller towns. I am almost 70 years old, was checking out at Lowes, and waited in line because they had a shortage of workers. As I was speaking with the cashier she offered me a job!! I was shocked. There are restaurants that cannot open on a consistent schedule because of worker shortage. Unreal.
Lowes downsized in 2015. They eliminated positions of people with expertise. A lot of decent, hardworking employees lost their jobs. They also pay new employees more than employees that have worked there for years.
I can explain why. Lowe's pays employees $12 or so an hour and has many of them in what is effectively a warehousing job. The work can be difficult, yet you're only part time and without benefits under 30 hours. Moreover, you do a lot of hard work for entitled customers; you do a lot more than, for example, tipped employees in other professions, and with a lot less gratitude.
I worked at Lowe's for a few months as a seasonal employee on top of my full time desk job. In that time I operated machinery to cut carpets, I constantly handled heavy flooring and tile to restock, I cut window blinds using special equipment, cleaned the cement floor space of the constant sand and poly mixes, took inventory, staged inventory, repriced items... Mind you, you also have to move forklifts around and perform other warehousing operations as unpredictable customers walk / run to and fro.
Only one customer was ever really nice to me in my time there, despite that I took my office professionalism and endeavored to provide A1 service for the Lowe's customers.
So, Sir, I fully understand your shock at the many job openings out there, but there are other factors at play besides poor employees. Low pay, poor management, and yes, poor customers, are also to blame.
@@fm1615 Spot on the money comment F M
@@argtv1007 Thanks
@@argtv1007 fox is horrible. There's active viruses .out there killing ppl. What they don't talk about is government jobs .where they make billions .and don't let new blood in
Hence the tech or warehouse layoffs. . Ppl. Want to work . But the masters .chest you then harass you for being a minute let .. Steal yo our info. My dad is a contractor and none of what they say is happening. There playing with ppl. Last year they cancelled unemployment.early in September..by a full year .urging ppl. To go back .then blam around March the gdp hit freezing hiring .now in may there massive layoffs and it's been downhill since.
Absolutely Incredible 😮
My stepdad with no education further than the 6th grade had two businesses. I worked with him at the age of twelve. I left for the Navy at 18. He once told me it took three men to replace my work ethics. I fear to observe I gave my youth to interests not my own, in serving 20yrs.
I'm 50 and own a concrete company and the last 4 years have aged the hell out of me due to lack of help. Concrete is a team sport. I have 3 guys now and very grateful to have them.
No one gonna bust their back for 40k a year.
Same here. 36, do concrete full time with my 69 year old father for the past 12 years, just the 2 of us. Taking over the company, but literally impossible to find anyone I can trust to show up for more than 2 weeks.
Got my first job in concrete. I tell every kid I know to stay away because you can start at double the wage with a fraction of work in tech. Get yourself 30 or 40 of the lazy, stupid, drugged up ones and when you have a job, you call as many as you can and hope enough show up.
@@justinclark9258 bet I make and did make more than you. All my kids are college grads and none of make as much me. It's all depends on the person. Just shows hiw soft people are. If there were no stores you all would starve, your mind set is that of a know it all and we all know how much they know
@@iamtheoffenderofall And live in pain and 20 years shorter then the rest. If people won't work, they'll make robots to do the job, otherwise there ain't gonna be new buildings any more. They pressed the pause button on society 2 years ago, shutting everything down, PLANNED, not accidental, as they're claiming.
This is dead nuts true,I am going to be 63 in September, work for a huge company, most are looking for hand outs and are absolutely unskilled, clueless!!!!
Mike Rowe should get more airtime. Such a reasonable voice. His Ted talk was great, too.
He is reality TV not real life.
@@DontBurnTheAmericanFlag fitting username
@@DontBurnTheAmericanFlag lmao 🤣🤣
It all started with the “fly over” attitude. First generation college graduates not wanting to associate with the parents that worked hard to put them through school. Those same people then mistreated those that they depend on. It is the same group that also put out the gimme programs that encourage blue collar workers to vote for them but it also encouraged a shrinking blue collar force. Add in other policies and you get a society that cannot survive.. no food, no services and a declining infrastructure.
He's a poser who has never worked a real job in his life.
When I had my kitchen done my plumber said he retired twice already! And you are so right about people do not want to work! I retired early last year after running ventilators over 30 years. Floor nurses would call me wanting to send patients to ICU because they are sick? New nurses want to play on their phones at the desk and everytime call lights would go they would get so mad that they had to get off their butts! Guess they expected to just come in and collect a paycheck. I got written up 1/2 dozen times the last 2 years for offending someone my boss would agree that what I said was correct but I had to be nicer…when the jab ultimatum came along I was out of there. I had already been exposed multiple times and am healthy. I could no longer support the mission.
Man, tech really is becoming a bad habit, and the young generation can't understand life without looking at their phone every 2 minutes.
@@MegaMerlin2011 you are SO right!!! Took my 90 yr old Mom to emergency room , she fell & broke hip, we waited over an hr for someone to come help her, too busy playing on their phones , really sad world we’re in right now!!
I work in a healthcare setting with a ton of nurses and the new ones are pretty much empathy-deleted near psychopaths that I wouldn't let look after my dog (I do love my dog so much). They are unbelievable, and since I am in government they start at $85K and still whine that they are unappreciated and they want more.
After working in a sheet metal shop Tig welding for $17/hr while unskilled warehouse workers were making $25/hr+, I began to move away from the skilled jobs because they weren't paying enough. I miss welding but unfortunately skilled labor is severely undervalued compared to other professions like a guy putting a box on a pallet all day.
@Jason Bourne Unions suck. If my union wants to strike and I don't want to then I still must strike. My union dues are owed regardless if they're sending me out to jobs or not. I also don't want my Union dues being contributed to political candidates, specifically Democrats right now. On top of all of that, Unions don't really care if you want to work for them or not. I've called 3 local unions and left messages and not one has contacted me back. Unions are just as 💩 as corporations right now.
@@weezem you couldn't have said it better.
You can work for yourself in welding and make a lot more money.
@@weezem I agree I worked in state govt for 13 yrs & had over $100 taken out every month for dues ( got paid monthly) & they didn't help me keep my job or protect me from harassment from coworkers plus they didn't even fight for me when I was being falsely accused by my dpt. To top that off they gave my hard earned $$ to the democratic party & our hated gov. Newsom. Union's don't help anyone but themselves & they squander your $$$ for their parties & self interests.
Welding is cool and a great skill to have. Maybe it's just your location...?
Mike Rowe for Congress!!!!! HE has more sense that over 1/2 of those in Congress...maybe more.
Each generation tries to make life easier on their kids than they had it. It's caught up to us. One of my favorite quotes is from 'Those Who Remain" by G. Michael Hopf, and I'm sure you've read it before: Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.
oooo that's good
A lot of parents would agree they try to make easier. In fact, many millionaire don't leave money to there kids. The problem we have now is government hand outs! China is having the same problem with their youth. Many college students are living at home and doing on line course. Therefore the low paying jobs in are area don't have employees available.
The version I heard was John lovell I believe and it sad bad times create hard men, hard men create good times, good times create weak men, so on and so forth. Either way it's true, and now we are in the beginning stages of what I believe is gonna be very hard times. People are going to literally die because the men(and women too) are so weak.
Yes, easier for their kids. But the young today don't want kids. Young women just 'wanna have furn'. They abort babies. Family is the motivation for men to work, to provide. No family: no reason to work.
Every generation complains about the one after but it did finally catch up to us. Gen X is ironically the last generation to eventually embrace hard work.
PUT MIKE ROWE IN CHARGE OF THE ECONOMY, MAKE HIM THE "JOBS CZAR!"
WRONG! Government is the problem, not the solution
Every time he goes to Washington, they don't listen to him.
@@keekers how could they not listen to him Smart as can be
We only need 1 job Czar. Trump.
He would promote trades over college. That wouldn't be good for the big elites nor the universities. It's all connected and its all about them making money to keep the rest of us down
My story: I was in the auto repair industry for 45 years. The last 20 was as a shop owner. For what ever reason (probably dumb luck) I found people that were willing to work, learn, and felt responsible to my business and my customers. I would hate to try to start a business now days the way people are.
master auto tech (45years retired) when plumbers/electricians charge 150-200 per hour and a shop charges 120. an hour, I see the problem, they think the trades can't get people?, the auto/trk industry is doomed!
I hate to work with owners like you… it’s not hard to find people but you have to pay me something that allows me to have a life.. if I can’t pay rent and food on why you want to pay than I will certainly sit the hell out
leadership, that was the difference. luck had nothing to do with it.
I worked for a guy who said nobody wants to work. I felt bad for him. I had just finished a quarter learning about a lot of stuff in my trade school and was closing in on my grad date.
You know what I found out when I worked there?
He regularly screamed at me and his employees and berated us. He rarely explained the issue. He made inappropriate comments to both employees and customers about things that had little to nothing to do with work. When things went wrong, he went on a firing spree instead of trying to find out what happened and why. He would scream at his employees in the office or go on a long tirade about why their work was bad, then proceed to return them to shop with no insight on how to fix said issue. His schematics were written on a piece of paper by hand and he was even offered the opportunity to digitize them and update them. Tools were offered to be made to replace previous ones and he refused. "No more buying steel." He'd say because of the amount of scrap made, but in the same shop another day or another hour later he would say "I want my employees to make scrap. They won't learn. I won't buy them tools and I don't want them making the tools they need because I know they'll learn from making scrap." And tell me how that adds up in a machine shop that hemorrhages money in scrap because of all the parts that are mismatched, crooked, too short or too long.
I was on the business for 40 years, and like you I was blessed with good people the last 12-15 years. I retired in 2016, and I feel very fortunate no to have to deal with today’s struggles.
My Shop teacher in the 70s told us,"the job may be dirty but the money's clean".That attitude is missing today.
I'm master electrician in Michigan. My wife and I were self employed but I had to go back to work for the local union because I couldn't get anyone to work for me, and those that said they would accept a job offer, demand a ridiculous amount of cash to do so. We were a small biz and couldn't afford top $. And the young folks don't want to start at an apprentice wage. This entitled generation is terrible to work with.
Illinois will self destruct!
You think young men are entitled?
Try dealing with a young woman. 🤮
We are all doomed said Hanrahan the barstard from the bush love from Australia 💀😎
Apprentice wage : if you live with your parents, are just smart enough to talk & write clearly, know how to operate a laptop & headset, any high schooler with a "B" average can do customer service for 40 hours/wk, at home, save gasoline, wear n tear on a car, and not have bad back & knee issues.
And you keep more $.
You can’t pay the $$$ you don’t get the workers
I love Mike Rowe. He's a genuine human being that sees everything with s level head and clear sight. He also tells it Ike it is.
I also like that he and Gary Sinise are friends.
@@Nicks_Pix Sinise is another phenomenal human being. A humble friendship.
My ex was a contractor, and this was his resounding complaint each and every week - that the men he hired (mostly young men) weren't up to the challenge of working a labour job. They were either standing around texting on their smartphones the moment he turned his head, or they didn't have a clue how to do the most basic sh|t. Two days later after being hired they had already quit. Rinse, lather, repeat. It was extremely frustrting for him.
All of us contractor have the same complaint. And it is driving up the cost to the client.
Are you British?
You denigrate young people for their apparent inability to do a labour job, yet you can't even write the steps for washing hair in the proper order. Perhaps some self-reflection is in order. Would you leave the house after following your recipe for hair washing?
@@RedStallion2000 Does that mean that you don't have any job skills, but you look good?
I was a labourer for a house moving company for a 2 months then got laid off due to a gap in contracts. In 8 weeks 5 other labourers came and went.
Same in our small town in central ny
I’ve been in the trades since I was 15 years old and I’m now 45, I totally agree with this segment and also see what Mike is saying first hand. Recently my wife’s friend purchased a home. She was excited for them so she went over the evening after the closing. Upon checking out the house they realized the front door lock wouldn’t function / lock properly. My wife’s friends husband had no idea how to swap out the main entrance door lock. My wife said okay let’s go to the Home Depot and get a replacement I’ll install it! She Learned from me. That’s just a small example of how Men don’t learn Manly simple tasks that aren’t actually that hard.
We have been systematically disprivileged and castrated. There's no shop class. If you give a little boy a swiss army knife tool to learn with, they send the police.
@@user-rx162r Exactly
Sadly it's true. I'm 59, do house repairs for my daughter, and with my daughter, I've taught my sons how to repair things, and how to improvise. I learned from watching my dad at an early age how to work on homes and cars. The younger generation doesn't even went to learn. They'd much rather pay, and not bother with it. 😞
@@lauranewbie8765 I agree… once all the baby boomers and generation X retire I’d like to see how all the trades will be accomplished. There’s actually are some very talented Ecuadorians in the trades. There’s very good money in the trades it’s a shame the younger generation doesn’t want to learn a hands on skill.
@@growler1149 they all want to be rapper's or Utube Star's......
At 22 I started my own roofing co.
Worked back breaking jobs and was the go to guy for extra heavy lifting( 300-400 lbs).
After that I started a janitorial co , had 50 employees.
Later I began a one man handyman co and had so many referrals I couldnt keep up.
Many people today are lazy and too self centered and high minded to actually DO anything worthwhile.
Amen!
Truth
was a boss for 30+ years.
I was fair and never asked my people to do anything I hadnt or wasnt willing and able to do.
I worked side by side with them and treated them as friends and they never wanted to work for someone else.
I paid them well too.
I have worked for over 30 years with children 0-12 yrs. I have been witness to the process of pushing the idea of Rights over Responsibilities to the children and society is now seeing how this plays out!
BINGO!!!
Very good point!
It is part of a larger plan to dumb down society and make it completely dependent on a totalitarian regime. Now you don't even have to pass an entrance exam to get into Harvard and other ivy league schools. Nope can't do that because tests are racist.
As a remodeler, this is so salient to me. Help is nowhere to be found and I could walk off one job and walk into another in the same day because every outfit is in dire need of good help. It's crazy!
This is sad…I needed a plumber recently….I called 4 different local people…they all said the same thing…”we don’t do residences”…..it was the Culligan man who saved me as I had NO WATER and I’m a blind 70 year old woman who lives alone….this kind man had installed my new Culligan system and he helped me with my leaking water tank connected to my well ….when no one else would…
I was a mechanic service manager for over twenty years, twenty years ago. Finding and training new employees was a problem back then and never got better. Mike knows it's time to encourage a life in a trade. I lived my trade and retired in comfort. Find a love to work and, as hard as work seems when you lay your head down to sleep, if you work towards your talent, you will win for yourself and along the way, a win for those around you. I'm a trained engine mechanic but, I've remodel properties, ungloged plumbing, installed Radar Systems, and turned failing rental properties into profit. A win is what came to me as a problem. I know my limitations but, accepted a job only when I could use that understanding to my advantage. Best of luck to future persons seeking a future in a trade. Not easy but, it worked for me!
I can’t find a semi trailer mechanic to save my life, that can actually mechanic!! 😩 It’s the craziest thing! There used to be mechanics everywhere! Or maybe I just noticed bc I was always around them growing up. 🤷🏼♀️
People starting in the trades today will not retire in comfort.
Hardwork pays off. My grandfather would be proud of you. 👌👍✌
But does he really pay? It's been my experience when whole crew's aren't showing up days in a row,probably means the workers aren't being paid
@@chuckzimmerman3711 when I was in construction I had the same problem he did. 99 times out of 100 the poor workers had either a wife that worked, they were staying home living off their parents, or they just didn't have any desire to make more than what the minimum was to get by. I had six employees and was lucky to have four of them on the job at any one time. It got to the point where I was selective about the work I took and work by myself, if I needed help I had one guy that would come to work if I gave him a couple days notice.
I'm a secretary for a company that fixes commercial and residential foundations. Just like this gentleman, my boss can't get anyone to work. It's insane. Some customers get so upset with us because they have to wait a longer than usual for the work to get done. I feel bad, but unfortunately that's our reality here in the US. I'm in my 30's and I've always had a good work ethic. I'd hate to see what the world will be like if it's still like this by the time I retire.
I'm sure you're right.
It's hard to understand how everything got so off track.
Mike calls it fraying, but it looks like years of deliberate disintegration -- make the work force useless and uninterested.
Pride used to mean doing a job well, taking pride in your work, it means something different now.
The problem is kids have choices like computer jobs where they don't have to do physical labor. The other problem is the parents that coddled their kids & didn't make them go to work early on like having a part time job in high school & in college & spoiled them. Now you have generations of spoiled entitled young adults who think they deserve $50 an hour just for showing up at a job with immediate benefits, of course.
That is the reality of this world. Not just in the US. Trust me. Not sure where or how this is all going to end.
@@flowerjpotter1629 Pride now means that you aren't afraid to admit you want a labor position for management pay and you want to make your own schedule, and they are proud for admitting that, 😆.
Our company is in the same boat
I am an HVAC, and even the people we get that are good, aren’t even close to what we used to be. Honor pride in your work, running a service vehicle, as if it was your own. Seem to be principles that are becoming forgotten.
We have a rental and in 2021, our tenant decided he wasn’t going to pay rent. He decided to take advantage of the co vid rental relief program, which called for him to not pay rent for three months. It was unbelievable because the program took 6 months to pay out and in the meantime, our mortgage company demanded payment on time, despite the tenant not paying. People are basically lazy, and if given the opportunity to opt out of work, they take it!!! It’s unbelievable!!!
My mom's neighbor took advantage of the Covid rental relief program and didn't pay rent for way over a year. In the meantime they took their entire family of 11 and flew to DisneyWorld. They were eventually evicted.
Boohoo, if you can't handle 1 shitty tenent you shouldn't own a rental property.
Get what you deserve, landlord scab.
Those people are entitled brats and will never have anything.
@@kencurtis2403 The people who did that are awful, but the government enabled it.
It's the same here in Australia, I gave up trying to expand my Carpentry business because non skilled labourers and apprentices were asking for upwards of $70-$90 per hour. To many lazy self entitled people these days expecting everything for nothing. most of them wouldn't last 5 minutes without mummy and daddy or a government handout.
The thing that is always ignored - the HR gatekeepers - wanting to shape society instead of finding an employee that may not have every skill but can fill 90% of a job requirements.
Also - when posting jobs, put the salary range in the posting - saves everyone involved alot of time.
Yup... HR gatekeepers...and nowadays, if you have so much as a speeding ticket in your history, you're out.
@@Alex-qf2lb Yep - they put all the requirements that they want but in most cases never give you the MOST important thing for your consideration
@@Belleville197 Even worse in the corporate world. Knock on somebody's door and ask if you can drop off a resume and you're liable to have security called on you. Only choices to go through their lengthy online application form, which the artificial intelligence will then sort out for the HR rep to decide who's best for the job.
@@ronvaughan8041 I was born just a few years too late... by the time I turned 18 and could legally apply for certain jobs and industries, the hiring process had shifted from the old fashioned handshake and try 'em out, to HR skirts and pseudo psych tests, set in place to favor individuals with the most castrated personalities and dispositions. Women dominate these departments, and they DESPISE men in general... especially white men.
HR departments everywhere should be gutted and scattered to the winds.
They are full of talentless and ignorant people (mostly women) who have no business making decisions about anything.
Their primary function is to insulate management from workers.
Mike Rowe is a “real” man!! Wish we had more of them. Our Country needs a few REAL men! You’re a real man too Brian! 😍😍
After 37 years in the trades I moved on into plumbing wholesale.
After decades of ditches, ladders, rooftops, crawlspaces etc. etc.
I figured I'd save my body before completely destroying it.
I hear this over my counter daily. We cannot even find someone who wants to work in our warehouse.
We've been without a warehouse employee for almost a year now.
It's a good a job with plenty of room for advancement.
No one wants to work.
We've taken shop class out of schools and steered an entire generation or more towards college.
This is a fools errand.
We still need these folks to fix things!
I cannot see how this is going to turn out but I'm sure it won t end well.
I know I've seen it, even with the job most people don't work! They'd rather pay to go to college and come out without a trade; like doctors none of them know nutrition!!! I don't know how they got patients!
It's almost like a controlled demolition
It's so the so-called elites have an excuse for mass immigration of non-citizens who have these basic trade skills.
@@SupcrFail You’re exactly right. This has been done by design. On purpose!
Everyone has a price. If they don’t want to work in the warehouse there’s a reason. Find out what it is and fix it.
Blow this story up boys!!!! This is so true!
I don't understand. My coworker wanted to get a second job so applied everywhere, grub hub, Uber eats, pizza delivery, cashiering, etc. These companies were all supposedly hiring, but without exception he either received a no thanks or no response to his applications. There is a disconnect here.
I know, you have retail and food jobs that won’t hire part time help, then close because they don’t have enough staff to provide even crap service.
I’m sitting in an understaffed production plant that can’t find acceptable help, not good just acceptable. They get hired, show up and don’t want to do anything but play on their phones.
The whole thing is going to implode, sooner rather that later I think.
I'm also hearing this same story. Companies are claiming that they're hiring yet qualified candidates aren't getting call backs.
A significant amount of places won't hire people looking for a second job. They prefer candidates who are willing to open their availability and work as much as possible/fill open shifts. This is a symptom of bad management by actively turning down available resources.
@@lbcadden3 Sooner
Mike, you and I are a few months apart in age. I retired from construction because help was more than ever hard to find and lumber tripled. Sad. Thanks to you and Brian for the great show.
Great segment! Mike needs a daily segment on Fox Business. We can do without the dry filler of Cavuto or Claman. His segment would be solid gold nuggets of wisdom!
Agree. Don't care for Cavuto. Mike has wisdom we need for these times we're in.
Absolutely. Find 30 minutes for this guy to talk about this crap and expose what is happening.
I think Mike does have his own show. Not sure what or time
@@BonnieBlue2510 It's on Fix Business at 8, I believe. It's a bit differrent than talking in this interview as he did. He actually explores various jobs & all that the job entails. Jobs people know little about.
@@BonnieBlue2510 He does, it's called How America Works on Fox. But I think he would do well having a daily segment on Fox Business, speaking with contractors, working peole etc. and hearing their version of the economy, not the same old same old so called "expert" boring generic fund managers.
I graduated in 2000. Teachers throughout my high school venture were pushing the students to get involved in business type jobs. Completely ignoring the trades. I graduated and went into warehouse work with my Dad. I did that job and worked my way up. Sadly the company was facing major money issues and my position was eliminated in June of 2013. Now the cool part was like, "I've had my CDL since 2004." I had every endorsement as well. But I needed to have experience or a 180 Truck Driver training course. So I signed up for the course, and about $3500, and I started in July and finished close to August. I drew like maybe 2 unemployment checks through the whole ordeal. Then before I knew it, I was a tanker driver. I had always loved Semi trucks and that childhood dream came true.
You are living your best dream, and are inspiration for those yung'uns coming after you!! 🤗
Congratulations! Very thankful for people like you.
If you had even a halfway decent dad in your life, which you it sounds like you do/did, you won the lottery already.
That’s great 😁.! Keep up the great work you have.! Happy Thanksgiving 😊to you and your family and friends.!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I went to vocational school in high school because it was an excuse to not have to go to my normal math and english type classes for half the day every day, but when I got there I enjoyed the technical classes and afterwards I moved on to a technical college to further that specific interest to get an electrical certificate and now 13 years later I am 11 years into the electrical manufacturing field having just started my second job a week and a half ago building and wiring automated packaging and bottling machines making almost 30 dollars an hour while going back to school to get a industrial maintenance certificate. University degrees are 100% a scam to lure people into overpriced degrees that require a bunch of fluff classes to graduate like psychology and gender studies that aren't needed yet just add more to the cost of the degree.
Something I heard from my 58 year old appliance repair man which is the first time I had heard this; I guess government entities are taking some ridiculous steps in making licensing in all of these manual trades impossible to fulfill. He said the bottom line is “they” want to phase out ALL of those who do repairs of any kind on any thing. It appears they plan to control what you have and that you will have only what they approve, so repairing or maintaining in good working order anything you use in every day life will be out of the question. It would seem “they” want the western nations headed back to pre-Industrial Revolution days.
"You will own nothing and you will be happy" as George Orwell wrote.. Really sad that it will eventually become reality
@@thehaze1972 I don’t think that’s an Orwell quote. It is a quote from a video from the World Economic Forum (WEF) whose founder is Klaus Schwab. The video presents the WEFs vision for the world in 2030 where we are all living under a one world government rule. No national borders, no fossil fuel energy, reduced population, no eating meat for the masses. We are dependent on the government for everything from household appliances to food to UBI. It’s coming.
That's not true. California let's immigrants forgo licencing for contractor jobs. Been that way for two yrs now or more.
@@JourneyToTheTruthandTR well, there you go; I can only tell you in my state this evidently is what is unfolding.
@@jayboatrepairfun2185 as much as I despise Biden, this was in motion way before he took the presidential seat. Obama was groomed as a kid to put this into place. The motions really started moving the day he was elected President.
I'm a woman and i😢had the same issue hiring in Florida. No longer able to do the job because I have horrible back & neck pain. I am 63 this year. I miss it so much. Loved it.
My husband has been saying this for years. He is a tradesman of many talents. It's the way he was trained that made him successful. He had to follow many supervisors and was immersed in, plumbing, heating, construction, finish work, mechanics, electrical, heavy equipment operation or anything that was needed to get the job done, even the laborer positions, where he started his career at 17. He worked his way up to director of operations and retired after 35 years with one Employer, due to health issues. Even now, with limited strength, he can trouble shoot, fix, design or build just about anything. He is a real man, not afraid to work, supply for his family of 6 kids, 15 grandkids an 2 great grandkids. All that being said, he built our house and assisted nearly all of our kids and others with those talents at no- cost to them, except for a meal or a place to crash. Wake up America.
Very similar to my story, thanks for sharing.
Loved what you said about real man I met my husband at 16 he was nine months older than myself did I know it’s 17 he could do everything now he had three kids made all of them work around the house on 10 acres to and not one of my kids are lazy. we’ve been married 53 years now you know how old I am there isn’t anything the man still can’t do he cuts 3 acres of grass etc. Occasionally vacuums the floor house with the two dogs and a honeydo list is always available if he gets bored. Not this week. He’s working on a golf cart fixing the tractor etc. but we always have time together by 200 most days we’re done with our chores for seniors it’s time to feed the dog cook dinner. Clothes etc. etc. this is the work ethic that we know there was none in my family but I seen his father go to work every single day in retirement it’s just how men were made in the olden days
that's what dads do.
Sorry to tell you this sweetheart, these contractors complaining they cannot get workers created their own problem and have no right to complain.
Go read my reply to this crap and if you still want to feel bad for the contractors then you're no better than them.
Someone needs to tell these contractors to shut the hell up and quit playing the victim.
@@TLgamer_TLI'm a recently retired contractor and I'd love to know where you got your backward opinion. You wouldn't want to spew your nonsense in my face or any guys I know. Most of us would walk away from your bs, but some wouldn't.
It’s very challenging as a single parent (man) who wants to be involved with their children to work these jobs with zero flexibility and no home time. The modern workforce doesn’t allow for this shift in thinking since the 1950s, it’s not an issue of not wanting to work hard, it’s an issue of life balance.
Yes, Thank you for a great news piece about the current jobs and workers situation. I am retired and my auto mechanic and a separate Tire store that I use both say the same thing. They have employees that may or may not show up for work. The employees just have an attitude of "I don't want to work today and just call in.
It's so sad. During the 1960s me and the McCaffery brothers would pull weeds in the spring, mow in the summer, rake leaves in the fall and shovel snow in the winter. We had to be the best because of the fierce competition from other kids. This included keeping our prices at a competitive rate. Today is so much different. Friends of mine have a son who lives on the second floor of their house. His parents give him $100 dollars weekly for living expenses. He does absolutely nothing around the house to help out or show gratitude for his living conditions. He also met a woman on line, married her and the two lived on the 2nd floor for a year. She finally had enough and left him. From the time he was born until today he has never ever put in a full 40 hour work week. He has also never held a job for longer than 2 weeks. The saddest part is he's 41 years old and stories such as this are becoming the norm.
Let me guess; the woman got her citizenship, then checked out.
If a man can't hold a job for more than 2 weeks, it will be even harder to make a woman fall in love with him...
Lol! My husband works as a maintenance worker in a factory and could not count on both his hands how many young kids get fired for making tic tok videos while on the job during their 30 probation. My boys mow lawns, pull weeds, chop wood, dig ditches as soon as they can hold a tool. They will already be ahead of the pack just having work ethic.
I am a retired nurse of 45 years. I can’t count the numbers of times people would say “ I want my child to be a doctor or lawyer!!”. This has bothered me !! We need everyone!! Plumbers, Electricians, Painters, Teachers, Nurses, House keeping , Trash collectors, Chefs, Carpenters, Farmers. The list goes on and on!! You get my point!! We all should appreciate everyone !! Can’t leave out the First Responders!!!!!!!!
No one respects those other titles you named.
Except no one respects any of those trades and certainly WON'T pay them what they're worth.
Love ya Mike! My 25yo daughter has been working for a national pizza chain doing everything but making the pizzas. It's been over 2 years now, and they are trying to get workers, like everywhere else. Same problems as most of the comments posted here. She has a great resume; always on time; never calls out; goes in when they're short-handed; washes all the dishes; and puts up with the crazies out there. She has diligently been searching for a job since graduating college 3½ yrs ago. It's very frustrating for her to barely make any money to pay her bills and she still lives with us. I believe she will have to look at larger cities to find what she wants. But we are so proud that she has a great work ethic and isn't sitting at home being a couch potato playing games. She is one of the WILL workers.
I work - yet I'm always looking to apply to better positions. Every position I have applied to has 100 - 200 or more people that also applied. I'm not so sure about this "No One Wants To Work" thing.
@@fukofutube22
I agree. What is your daughter's degree in? What I'm finding is companies are discounting people that don't have degrees or some type of college /training. My company will skip over a person with 20yrs experience in a field and hire a college grad with ZERO experience in that field. insanity and typical suit mentality.
Bullcrap, your probably applying for jobs that are easy. Go become an apprentice in any of the trades. Your applying for jobs where 200 other dumb asses are applying. Try something different than T Mobile or Zumies at the mall. Go get a man's job. My youngest son finally quit the mall job scene. At 30 years old he realized he has to actually work to make any real money. He works in the oilfields in North Dakota and can't believe he makes more in o e week there than he did working at the mall. Go figure. Yes there is a shortage of skilled workers, obviously your nor a skilled worker.
but also one of the WILL worker s .workn the life out of herself maken a manager look better at the end is the
end will and testament
worker.
wont se t a alarm clock
for less than 25 or 30hour starting out period plus now ya gotta have shots to work food handling jobs thats more money they should be paying ppl .
Yeah like your daughter being a good worker makes her able to be taken advantage of. If you're a responsible employee these days, you will be resented and abused. Like mistaking kindness for weakness.
I have degrees in geology and chemistry but I can't express how much I appreciate my parents giving me the opportunities I have. They funny thing is I appreciate my dad who is a career mechanic for making me work along side him when I was a child. Everything from troubleshooting electrical problems on foreign luxury cars and changing a head gasket to HVAC installation, leveling a foundation or something as simple as unclogging a pipe. I can't comprehend how few people my age know how to do any of the things I mentioned, let alone having the confidence to even try. I certainly know that if I ever have employment issues in my current career I can easily switch and not lose a beat. Cheers to parent that breed curiosity in all aspects not just academics.
Joe: I too was blessed with great parents.
I learned many skills from them. When I start a project or a build people look at me strangely puzzled and ask " who are you hiring to do the work?" When I them them no-one I get a contorted confused look.
They would have no idea how to even start a project. Miss you Mom & Dad!
I always watched while my dad did DIY around the house. From painting to building things. Other women find it strange when I tell them I go shopping for power tools instead of clothes. What can I say? I find power tools more interesting. LOL! Because of that, I do my own DIY around the house. And my son helps me. I show him how to use a drill and a saw. Plumbing I sort out myself as well. I don't have the confidence for electrics just yet but we'll get there. My day job is an office worker.
@Joe K.. As a parent, I hope you have expressed your appreciation to your parents. I'm a boomer. I've done everything I can to get my kids started in life. Put 4 through college and put them in their first car. Have helped them out along the way with financial assistance as needed. I even have them all still on my cell phone plan and I pay for it. All I (we) ever wanted was for our kids to succeed in life w/o living on the streets. Even when things were tough for them, they always had a room at my house. During the pandemic, 2 of them lived with me. I didn't make them pay rent, I didn't expect them to chip in for utilities. I just expected them to sock away money to use when they went out on their own. They are all doing well for themselves. One even owns her own house. They were told, As long as I could provide them help, I would. I don't even expect a "thanks dad" but they are welcome when I get one. We boomers may be annoying sometimes to the younger set but we DO understand today is not what it was like during our time so if I can take some of the bumps out fo the road for them, I'll continue to do that till they scatter my ashes on the beach. 🙂
@@Ashtarot77 Good for you. Skills are always useful.
Same here. My Dad and Mom built their own house without any experience. I learned various skills from my Dad doing maintenance projects around the house over the years and my Mom even took the time to show me how to sew on a button, mend a rip in a shirt as well as some cooking basics. That's what a lot of parents did back in the 60s/70s or at least mine did.
My wife said that she couldn't imagine having to date anyone now days, but if she did, the first question would be, "can you show me your workshop/garage?". No significant collection of tools, no seconds date.
Gotta love Mike. He's the real deal. Intelligent, articulate, and he knows a thing or two about the necessary, underpaid but essential jobs and the people that do them.
He’s a opera singer who acts in a show about people working. This man knows nothing about sticking with a terrible job with a terrible boss, or what it takes to develop as a worker. He has his education but recommends people don’t seek higher education, rather go be a worker. He bases all his opinions on opinions of bosses because that’s who he deals with in his show. I’m not just complaining, I have a both a 4 year degree and 10+ years in a trade. Mike Rowe needs to shut his uninformed face
He’s a goddamned blowhard who makes tv shows about people who have real jobs. He speaks with the confidence of someone who is as full of crap as a politician.
He’s impossible to take seriously.
Get back to me when he’s been seriously injured on the job.
Yeah hes a university educated book author.... never worked an apprenticeship trying to pay rent on 5$ an hour
The key word is underpaid. Make it fair pay and people will be lining up for the work.
How does Mike Rowe make a living? Who pays him to push this agenda of “people are lazy and unskilled?” I’m just saying….doesn’t take much skill to just criticize the working class. It’s the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” song and dance. Come on people! These are old tropes! Been used on you over and over by special interests!
I’m a contractor! I don’t take a job I can’t do myself! Can’t depend on no one! I currently work in Michigan and Florida, no one wants to work! We start people at $20/hr cash, still no will!
My son was a "slow student" in hig school but with a lot of help he graduated and went to trade school. he got hired with a good company, worked when they needed him to work, went in early and stayed late. Now after 10 years he is a "supervisor" and makes north of 6 figures income. Show me any college graduate that can compare this without having any debt...
you showed the 1 that ended up successful, now about the 9 that weren't with the same or similar background in the trades.
@@zonmoy You have to want to be successful and really want to work. Many graduates of any college or trade school don't want to put in the time. I have no sympathy for the 9 that didn't make it because they had the same training that my son had.
@@davidcurtis5398 and then as shown by others you just get overlooked in favor of cheap illegal immigrant labor. assuming that they simply don't refuse to hire you and then claim you are lazy because they don't want to hire you in favor of cheaper labor.
@@zonmoy That's just a whole bunch of BS...
@@davidcurtis5398 yes, what the ones that are doing it are doing is bs. as is your claim that they havent been seen doing it.
I have a bad back. Been through lower back surgery and my Dr is holding off on a full multi-level spinal fusion because I'm only 50. I'm in pain everyday. I work and never miss a day unless it's an spinal injection. I work through the pain for my family. I see these perfect young men and think how lucky they are! A man works for his family, he works through pain, he works in the rain, he works even if it's with crutches. You work for those you love. There's still men out there. Bless you all and stay healthy!
Please find yourself a physio that can do IMS needling (intramuscular stimulation), see them for needling once or twice per week for at least 3 months and follow their exercise/stretching program religiously and save yourself from the hellhole that is spinal fusion. If you're still working full time, you're not so fargone that you can't heal. All that horrible operation does is relocate the problem above and below the fused vertebrae.
usa pokerpro, try a chiropractor. I injured my back in late teens and was in constant pain for 22 years, then was told to try a chiropractor who straightened my back(literally) . I have been pain FREE for 19 years.
good luck.
I applaud you. It reminds me of walking ceiling joists in a walking boot after I injured my foot. Ya just do what it takes to get things done.
I’ve worked in the trades since I was 16. At 40 I found myself in a supervisory position; it’s absolutely aggravating to spend the majority of your day having to coax and spoon feed people who don’t want to do anything. I’m getting a “holier than thou” vibe, endless excuses . On a recent project I ended up doing the work of two employees who just didn’t want to do it. I clocked insane amounts of overtime and finished the job. Right now the world is your oyster if you’re like me and enjoy a hard days work.
When I went into industrial maintenance in 1980 I had already received an Associate Degree in electronics and then starting my new job I went through a 4 year apprentice program. The company I work for now does not want to do any in-house training but expects to hire people already trained and there just aren't any people available. They hired 3 people a while ago and the only reason they were available is because the company they worked for caught fire and burned down and they were our of a job. I started working where I am now 15 years ago and the reason I changed jobs was the company I was working for was sold and moved to China. This shortage of workers didn't just happen but has been going on for many many years. I'll be 67 in August and would like to retire some day.
I'm 34 years old. I've had times of success and I've had times of struggle. It's all the same to me. I'm not afraid of working hard. I've travelled all over the country and worked various types of jobs. I've always been a solid worker, always gave a solid effort and always did well. In those years that I worked hard, had my own place to live, had my own car, had positive and constructive ways to spend my time, I still never got anywhere. I'm no saint but it was always difficult to find people who shared my morals and values. Having trust issues might have contributed to all of this, I do acknowledge that. But always hard to find friends. Barely ever had a woman show interest in me. The few that did, it didn't last more than a month or two. Now I have a roommate, no car, barely getting by, and it's no different. Anyone I meet through work is either some level of degenerate or has their own life going on. Anyone I meet who does share my values already has a family and life of their own. Nothing changes, society doesn't offer much to isolated young men. Every time I go outside I'm disgusted with the behavior of the people in my city. Crime is a great example, but in just the way people talk. People are loud, rude, inconsiderate. I have no motivation to contribute to society because I absolutely hate the society I live in. And with the way government and media are going, it's only going to get worse for young men.
I hear your frustration. Honestly I can’t imagine being a young man these days. The current culture in the US has ruined young women - feminism is anything but pro-feminine… and this coming from a female. There are decent people out there. It’s your life, but if I were in your shoes, I’d find a small to mid size town in a part of the country that’s more conservative and traditional & move there and build my life. Those places still exist. Get involved with churches and faith-based charities to help connect with decent people. Anyway, that’s what I would do.
Try yoga, meditation and such. Or just continue doing what you can. Things will definitely get better. Never despair.
I hear what you're saying and agree to a lot of it society is getting intolerable and our government and big corporations has a lot to do with it in the way society has turned out and Men today are chastised by the media and the government never gives men credit for nothing always blamed for every bad thing that happens in society, the USA is paying for sins of it's past and present
@@pleiadesluciernaga8877 Thank you for saying this
I wish I knew people like you in my area.
My husband is a subcontractor and can do most anything. We have tried relocating to find work that might be a little less hard on his body but in his experience, the builders did not want to pay for his 30 years of experience. It’s kind of a double edge sword when there are guys who want to work, but then can’t seem to get the pay that they are worth.
That is true in all areas. I have decades of experience in my field and I’m up to date with all technology but I can’t get a call back due to my age and what I ask for salary.
There's a reason people don't wanna work. The juice ain't worth the squeeze. Inflation always outpaces your wages so every year you're a little worse off than last year.
Greedy contractors who make sure they have their vacations covered are the ones that won't pay for the skill. It's a red flag of a worthless contractor who does not care about quality but his bottom line for his bottle/vaca habit.
I've been in the automotive industry for 30 years and Mike is exactly right and I have friends and family in every type of industry known to man and it's the same exact story across the board.