"How America Works" host Mike Rowe shared where he believes America went wrong bridging education to the workforce as colleges become more unaffordable.
"In the long history of stupidity, it's hard to imagine a stupider thing than taking shop class out of high school," Rowe told host Will Cain on "Fox News Tonight."
"We did that about 40 years ago, and when we did it, we showed a whole generation of kids what was important and what wasn't," he said. "We took that whole part of our workforce and just said, 'Don't even look at it.' Around the same time, we started telling that same generation that the best path for the most people was the most expensive path, the path to a four-year degree."
MIKE ROWE WARNS GOVERNMENT ENABLING MILLIONS OF MEN TO QUIT WORKING: ‘NOT LETTING THEM FAIL’
Rowe argued that removing shop class from high school and altering the dynamics bridging education to the American workforce has had a lasting impact.
"Flash-forward 40 years and here we sit, we've got 11.5 million open jobs, most of which don't require a four-year degree," he said.
"We've got $1.7 trillion of student loans outstanding that we're being asked to pick up the slack for, and we've got a generation of kids who are simply not trained for the opportunities that exist. This skills gap is a real thing. It's not just a skills gap — it's a will gap, I think."
Rowe shared how his foundation, mikeroweWORKS, addresses these changes in society to develop skills and work ethic for generations to come.
According to mikeroweWORKS, community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs are labeled as "alternative."
"For the last 15 years we've been talking about this and I'm telling you, I've never seen the headlines catch up to us the way they are right now," he said. "The word has gotten out, and people are really taking a hard look at learning a skill that's in-demand, and I'm glad they are."
Rowe said his foundation offers scholarships for people who want to learn a skill that's in-demand.
"These aren't scholarships for people who want to go get a four-year degree."
"We've helped about 1,700 kids so far," Rowe said. "We're moving the needle in a modest way, but we can't do it without conversations like this."
