Worth Reading - Mike Rowe Testimony

[ErikP.Bass]

Words:

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/di...testimony.html

Or listening.....

Audio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h_pp...e_gdata_player

[Relic]

I've read similar things from him before. I think that he makes a whole lot of sense.

[coreyfyfe]

Written for those who can't hear...

Mike Rowe Senate Testimony : Dirty Jobs : Discovery Channel

[stratovani]

I completely agree with him. Not to get political, but in our modern-day obsession with security we seem to be forgetting another aspect of security, namely the security of our infrastructure. There needs to be a serious reallocation of resources in this country - financial, educational, or otherwise - before we find ourselves importing plumbers and electricians from other countries to do the jobs we ourselves should be doing. Our infrastructure will depend on it.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Couldn't agree more.

It's a problem we are also having over in the UK. And if I could turn the clock back to being 16-17 again, I sure as heck would have gone for a vocational based career (probably a sparky or plumber).

This push to get everyone going to university just dilutes the value of a degree, especially considering so many people go to university for things which don't require a degree/pointless degrees.

Originally Posted by stratovani

before we find ourselves importing plumbers and electricians from other countries to do the jobs we ourselves should be doing.

This is something we are seeing in the UK at the moment.

[Jim Nazium]

He makes some good points. Thanks for posting that.

[hover]

Bravo Mike, Bravo.

My Dad is a master welder. He is also 63 years old. I've been after him for the longest time to show me how to do it, I'd love to learn another skill.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Couldn't agree more.

It's a problem we are also having over in the UK. And if I could turn the clock back to being 16-17 again, I sure as heck would have gone for a vocational based career (probably a sparky or plumber).

This push to get everyone going to university just dilutes the value of a degree, especially considering so many people go to university for things which don't require a degree/pointless degrees.

This is something we are seeing in the UK at the moment.

My cousin in England did this. He works as an electrician/carpenter. He loves and supports his family on it.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by stratovani

I completely agree with him. Not to get political, but in our modern-day obsession with security we seem to be forgetting another aspect of security, namely the security of our infrastructure. There needs to be a serious reallocation of resources in this country - financial, educational, or otherwise - before we find ourselves importing plumbers and electricians from other countries to do the jobs we ourselves should be doing. Our infrastructure will depend on it.

We are kind of already doing that by default at the moment. I don't think that I've hired an American-born plumber, contractor, roofer, or electrician in the past 15 years. Mexicans, Poles and Ukrainians seem to make up the majority of the folks doing such jobs nowadays in my area at least.

[MJ5150]

That little blurb from Mike Rowe makes me feel better about me getting out of high school and going directly to work in the construction trades. Our son did the same, and now he is a party chief for a surveying company.

I have some really intelligent friends who spent many years pursuing higher education who are of the "leave our check on the kitchen counter, and hope the work gets done" crowd. While I respect their intelligence, I feel bad for them when they have to pay someone to fix a faulty GFI, paint a room in their house, or thatch their grass.

-Mike

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I have some really intelligent friends who spent many years pursuing higher education who are of the "leave our check on the kitchen counter, and hope the work gets done" crowd. While I respect their intelligence, I feel bad for them when they have to pay someone to fix a faulty GFI, paint a room in their house, or thatch their grass.

Why feel sorry for them? That's a job for you.

[macaroni tony]

Worth reading indeed. Nearly made a brother cry. Bravo, Mike

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

That little blurb from Mike Rowe makes me feel better about me getting out of high school and going directly to work in the construction trades. Our son did the same, and now he is a party chief for a surveying company.

I have some really intelligent friends who spent many years pursuing higher education who are of the "leave our check on the kitchen counter, and hope the work gets done" crowd. While I respect their intelligence, I feel bad for them when they have to pay someone to fix a faulty GFI, paint a room in their house, or thatch their grass.

-Mike

Thankfully, that isn't the case for all of us. While my Dad was a trained and reasonably high up Physio, he was always hands on and did most of the decorating, refurbishing and DIY stuff around the house.

In the 20+ years staying at home, the only jobs I saw outside folk coming in to do was once reslating the roof, and a few months after moving into the house, it was discovered to have Dry rot. As it was missed in the survey, it was paid for by the surveyors.

I tend to take a similar approach, being very hands on in fixing things. However, I haven't been like that so much around my flat, simply because I'm legally not meant to do anything to it because I'm not qualified.

[Gard]

...seriously.


No, really, I mean it.

[Marial]

A good book on this topic:

Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B Crawford

I went to a private secondary school. It was all about college prep and didn't even have shop class. Many times I have wished that I had gone to public school and learned a trade. I can paint a room and was a landscaper for quite some time so I can take care of the yard, but I'm no electrician or carpenter. When the wife-to-be and I have a kid he or she is going to have some educational opportunities that I did not.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by spade2you

Why feel sorry for them? That's a job for you.

Since I don't work professionally in the trades any longer, I don't feel right charging people to help them with their construction projects anymore. But yeah, back then it was work for me.

-Mike

[MakiSupaStar]

BTW, I'd like to go on record and say 'right the **** on, Mike!'.

[Thumpin_P]

WTG Mike!!!

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Couldn't agree more.

It's a problem we are also having over in the UK. And if I could turn the clock back to being 16-17 again, I sure as heck would have gone for a vocational based career (probably a sparky or plumber).

This push to get everyone going to university just dilutes the value of a degree, especially considering so many people go to university for things which don't require a degree/pointless degrees.

When I was younger, my parents always pushed the idea of going to college and getting a degree so I could get some fancy high paying job. So that I wouldnt have to work hard like my dad. My father was an electrician tech for Souther Pacific (then Union Pacific) Railroad. I never really understood why they thought that manual labor was below me. Yes, Im smart and capable, but Ive always found labor work to be more of a man's job. I wish I was able to build myself a house from scratch. I see way more skill involved there.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Gard

...seriously.


No, really, I mean it.

Based on that article, I have a feeling he'd have a few good ideas.