Workforce
warrior
BY MITCH MAC DONALD, GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
THE DC VELOCITY Q&A
thoughtleaders
Best known as the host of the TV shows “Dirty
Jobs” and “Somebody’s Gotta Do It,” Mike
Rowe is a passionate advocate for the blue-collar professions that underpin our economy
but are often overlooked.
THINK OF TV PERSONALI TY MIKE RO WE,
and a certain image inevitably comes to mind:
a trim middle-aged man wearing a baseball
cap, blue jeans, and a big grin on his face—all
splotched with dirt, mud, or a combination
thereof.
That untidy but cheerful image arises from
Rowe’s best-known role, as creator and host
of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs,”
where he profiled “people who do dirty jobs
and keep our civilized life on the rails.” (To
see a dumbfounding list of the jobs Rowe
undertook for that show, go to http://mike-rowe.com/about-mike/resume/.) A few years
after “Dirty Jobs” ended its eight-year run,
he launched “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” on
CNN, which introduces viewers to people
with unique jobs—everything from performing as a rodeo clown to manufacturing bob-blehead figurines.
In both series, Rowe worked alongside the
people he interviewed. Those experiences gave
him a deep appreciation for the blue-collar
jobs that underpin the nation’s economy yet
are underappreciated and often go unfilled.
Determined to combat negative stereotypes
about hands-on labor, in 2008 he launched
the mikeroweWorks Foundation, which
awards scholarships to students pursuing a
career in trades like welding, refrigeration,
and manufacturing. To date, the organization
has given out some $3 million in grants.
Rowe, whose decidedly nonlinear career
path has included (among other things) tele-
vision host, product pitch man, documentary
narrator, and even opera singer, writes and
speaks frequently about issues like the wid-
ening skills gap, offshore manufacturing, and
why millions of jobs are available despite high
unemployment levels. He has twice testified
before U.S. Senate committees about the chal-
lenges facing trade workers, miners, farmers,
and similar professions and the importance of
changing negative perceptions about blue-col-
lar work.
In “Why Dirty Jobs Matter,” his keynote
address at the MHI 2015 annual conference,
Rowe followed humorous tales of his expe-
riences with a call for a national campaign to
INTERVIEW WITH MIKE ROWE
Workforce
warrior
