What is a "good job"?

Imagine waking up one day, and your toilet won't flush, your lights won't turn on, and your internet is buffering like it’s 1999.

No, it’s not the plot of a mildly dystopian novella - it's Mike Rowe's vision of what would happen if the country’s skilled tradespeople took a week off.

"If all the CTE people call in sick for a week, you're going to have a problem," Rowe said during a press conference at SkillsUSA's National Leadership and Skills Conference. His trademark wry smile barely concealed the seriousness of his message.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has become a buzzword, with media mentions rivaling Kim Kardashian. But why the sudden interest?

While everyone has been pushing four-year degrees, Rowe's been spotlighting pig farmers making $200,000 a year on "Dirty Jobs." Meanwhile, over half of recent college grads are either unemployed or in jobs that don't require their expensive degrees.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports nearly 10 million unfilled jobs as of June 2024, many in skilled trades.

Organizations like SkillsUSA are leading the charge, with 300,000 students competing annually in national CTE competitions. Some programs even use virtual reality for hands-on training. These aren't your grandfather's shop classes. And it’s not all sewer cleaning and pig farming either (nothing against those dignified professions). Modern CTE covers healthcare, coding, IT, robotics, and more.

For parents and students, embracing CTE doesn't mean abandoning academics. It's about expanding options and recognizing multiple paths to success.

As Rowe says, "We need to change the way the country feels about work." It's time to make essential skills cool again.

Curious about CTE and its potential for your child's future? Check out our full article for a deep dive into the world of Career and Technical Education.

👀 WATCH: Mike Rowe on the Skills Gap and the True Meaning of a "Good Job" [4 minutes]

In this short talk, Rowe challenges our perceptions of work and education, explaining why the most critical jobs for civilized life are struggling to recruit.

🧵 Thread Time: 10 Trade Jobs That Pay Better Than a Sociology Degree

It’s true: Mike Rowe actually did an episode of Dirty Jobs with a Las Vegas pig farmer making $200k a year. But that's just the beginning. We've compiled a list of 6 trade jobs that might make you rethink your definition of a “good job.” From elevator repairmen to wind turbine technicians, these careers offer competitive salaries, job security, and the satisfaction of doing something real in the real world.

That’s it for today!

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