The former host of Dirty Jobs, Mike
Rowe, spoke on Mackinac Island saying that the gap in skilled labor is the
result of a successful public relations campaign staged by higher education, and
said that skilled trades have to actively combat this campaign. Governor Rick
Snyder agreed with Mr. Rowe saying that the development of skilled trade talent
in the state should be a top priority issue.
Although he did not want the primary
focus to be on money, Mr. Rowe touched on the fact that there is money to be
made in skilled labor jobs. He shared that out of the 409 jobs that were
covered on his show Dirty Jobs, around 40 of the people profiled were
multi-millionaires. He also acknowledged that the politics of the skilled trade
issue faces a barrier that will have to be knocked down in order for skilled
labor to become reinvigorated.
The Governor announced a series of new
videos on skilled jobs with the help of Mr. Rowe and business leaders from
throughout the state. The six new videos were created with the intention of
dispelling myths about the skilled trades and show workers in the welding,
advanced manufacturing, construction, information technology, health care, and
tool and die industries. Governor Snyder said that in order to continue our
growth, we must develop the talent pool that is present in the state.
One such effort is an employer grant
program, which provides funds to train people to fill vacancies as well as
train current workers. The Dean of Workforce Development at Grand Rapids
Community College, Bill Pink, stated that the school moved to a hands on
apprenticeship model, allowing students to have time both in a classroom and in
the workforce.