Contracting Business talks to Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" fame about attracting younger people to the skilled trades.
Rowe, who has been in a partnership with the Direct Energy family of service brands (which includes Benjamin Franklin Plumbing) spoke in an interview during a recent national convention. The wide-ranging interview included some choice advice for communicating with the next generation of skilled workers:
The key is to make a much more persuasive case for the opportunities that exist... If you do that like a typical guidance counselor, you’ll put them to sleep. If you give them a lecture, you’ll drive them away. If you do it like a parent, you’ll scold them. And if we continue to give money away for four-year degrees without focusing on certifications and trade schools, we’re just going to get more of what we’re rewarding.