Open letter to Romney from Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs..

[Ravi]

The First Four Years Are The Hardest… « mikeroweWORKS

He is right.. to many people going to college and we will not have any skilled workers ..

Why don't you become a skilled worker? Oh right, you'd rather mooch off the government.

Sounds like the guy in your op is trying to get some free advertising for his show.

 

[zonly1]

The First Four Years Are The Hardest… « mikeroweWORKS

He is right.. to many people going to college and we will not have any skilled workers ..

Why don't you become a skilled worker? Oh right, you'd rather mooch off the government.

Sounds like the guy in your op is trying to get some free advertising for his show.

You've got something to say/do/provide or are you usually cat about it

 

[candycorn]

"too many people going to college"

But not enough people graduating from college.

Oh the irony.

 

[zonly1]

"too many people going to college"

But not enough people graduating from college.

Oh the irony.

It's not funny way how you call it debt....never the less you're still gullible at taxpayers expense...now get a job

 

[candycorn]

The First Four Years Are The Hardest… « mikeroweWORKS

He is right.. too many people going to college and we will not have any skilled workers ..

Thanks for bringing this up. This is a "do it tomorrow" solution to a great many persons who can't find a job currently.

To expand on the topic...

When you get a chance, look up the Adam Carolla podcast that has Mike Rowe on it. He speaks to the same issue; very expertly with a bit of humor. Carolla, as you may know was and still is a licensed carpenter.

Here is a You Tube of what apparently is a different interview; the same topics are covered without going into Rowe's rather colorful past as you would get on the podcast.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3gdFusgM7U]Adam Carolla and Mike Rowe on Work in America - YouTube[/ame]

I didn't read the open letter but I'm sure his sentiment is the same.

However,

I would do this though;

You know the way you pay for social security? Money is taken out of your paycheck every week and when you retire, you get that money if you live long enough and a few years into your retirement, you've already depleted what you've put in yet you still draw the money. So others are paying in supporting you when you retire.

What I would echo (not my proposal) is this: I would make available to any american graduating high school 60 hours of training at an accredited institution of higher education; books, fees, tuition...all paid for by Uncle Sam right off the bat. If you want to take your 60 hours and go to beauty school at the local community college; paid for. If you want to use it to get your AA degree in liberal arts as an entree to a 4 year university; paid for. If you want to use it to become an auto mechanic; paid for. Welder; paid for. Plumber; paid for. Dodgeball; paid for.

Now, once your 60 hours are done, your bill is attached to your social security number +20 percent. If the college you went to cost $10,000; you will owe $12,000. Over your earning life, you pay back $12,000 through payroll deduction. The beautician, mechanic, welder, plumber etc would have it paid off in 2 years; max with a premium of 20% on top of it to pay for the next class entering the college and trade schools. Some of the people who graduate will come up with all sorts of methods of fraud, abuse, die, never get a job--whatever. That is what the 20% premium is for. I'd be comfortable making it 50% frankly.

You don't need to show financial need to get this program. Just be an American who graduates high school or gets the GED.

I was interviewing a physician the other day and in his waiting room I saw a popular science catalog. I subscribe to it too but I haven't received it yet. They were talking about a new destroyer that will launch sometime in 2016. The Zumwalt class. Price tag for ONE is $3 billion. Shockingly, the Navy has decided that it probably isn't going to buy too many of these since their design is to pound the coast and not protect destroyers--basically what cruisers do right now.

DDG 1000 Zumwalt-Class Guided Missile Destroyer - YouTube

If we have money for this, we should be able to get 10-15 thousand plumbers, welders, mechanics, body men/women into the workforce where paying for the valuable training is not a barrier to entry.

What do you think?

 

[candycorn]

"too many people going to college"

But not enough people graduating from college.

Oh the irony.

It's not funny way how you call it debt....never the less you're still gullible at taxpayers expense...now get a job

C'mon, that was a little funny...

I am about to head off to work via Yoga class. Have a great day and a better one tomorrow!

 

[Conservative]

just emailed the Romney campaign with a link to the Mike Rowe letter.

 

[ba1614]

"too many people going to college"

But not enough people graduating from college.

Or if they are graduating too many are in the arts and humanities studies. Or in other words, useless degrees.

 

[Liberal]

It's a multifaceted approach.

Not everyone is going to be an engineer, someone has to clean toilets and move dirt around.

It's more about how you approach finding out who is really qualified to do what, currently the public school and charter school approach of "one size fits all" education results in more failures because it does not truthfully account for a persons abilities (both good and bad).

I think that "shop class" should make a serious comeback in high schools, that is where a lot of today's master carpenters and builders found their calling.

Anyway, Mike Rowe is a cool guy.. Always liked his show.

 

[Ruth]

Also going to college and picking a career that isn't available in their area and not wanting to move elsewhere. That happens alot in my small town.

 

[candycorn]

It's a multifaceted approach.

Not everyone is going to be an engineer, someone has to clean toilets and move dirt around.

It's more about how you approach finding out who is really qualified to do what, currently the public school and charter school approach of "one size fits all" education results in more failures because it does not truthfully account for a persons abilities (both good and bad).

I think that "shop class" should make a serious comeback in high schools, that is where a lot of today's master carpenters and builders found their calling.

Anyway, Mike Rowe is a cool guy.. Always liked his show.

Mine was the last class at my high school to have access to vocational education. We used to have hundreds of students who would take anything from AC/Refrigeration to Auto Body to Health Occupations to DECA. When we graduated, they stopped the programs. They also stopped Driver's Ed which I think should not be taught in school though.

Anyway, YES, "shop class" should make a big comeback but more important, in my view, is the flat out vocational education. And the trophies that they win in competitions should be right next to any academic decathalon awards the school wins too. There is 100% nothing wrong with vocational education in school.

 

[Seawytch]

I am highly skilled in many areas. But when I apply for positions with companies they are turned off by my age. Don't tell me they are looking for skilled people,they want, young skilled people.

Which brings up a really good point. Who is going to hire all these old people we aren't going to let retire when we push the retirement age higher?

 

[ba1614]

I am highly skilled in many areas. But when I apply for positions with companies they are turned off by my age. Don't tell me they are looking for skilled people,they want, young skilled people.

Which brings up a really good point. Who is going to hire all these old people we aren't going to let retire when we push the retirement age higher?

Perhaps people should look out for their own retirement and stop asking their neighbor to pay for it.

 

[The Rabbi]

We need more people going into Trade jobs.

You are 100% correct about this. There are many kids in high school who have not clue what they want to do, and they are not the best students, but they are not dumb. They just aren't real big on hitting the books as they are more hands on types. We have always had people who did well working with their hands. Now we try to send them to college and they either never finish or end up with a degree in political science. And yes I'm making fun of people with political science degrees because they are worthless and can only be used as a stepping stone to an advanced degree. On their own, they are a waste of time. Of course there are many other degrees that are pretty much useless.

Here's something to think about though; kids who wanted to start working and didn't want to go to college would go to the local union to become an apprentice and then move full-time into the union after being trained. We have done everything possible to destroy the unions or to at least destroy the image of the union. We need these unions to attract young people and train them and get them ready to replace those who are retiring. These are good jobs, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc...

You were doing great until you brought unions into it. Over priced, bad work ethic. Who needs that?

 

[Mr Natural]

We need more people going into Trade jobs.

I agree! Union or non-union?

Non union of course.

Those union people make way too much.

 

[Seawytch]

I am highly skilled in many areas. But when I apply for positions with companies they are turned off by my age. Don't tell me they are looking for skilled people,they want, young skilled people.

Which brings up a really good point. Who is going to hire all these old people we aren't going to let retire when we push the retirement age higher?

Perhaps people should look out for their own retirement and stop asking their neighbor to pay for it.

What? Do you think that makes sense in some way?

One of the proposals to "save" Social Security is to raise the age of retirement. Whose gonna hire all the old folks, skilled or not? How many times have you seen someone over 65 as a new permanent hire?

Corporations won't hire them. They prefer the young, fresh kids that won't stick around long enough to work towards a pension. Corporations lay off their old folks to hire these new young guns that don't care about health insurance and their futures.

Who is gonna hire the old folks?

 

[Moonglow]

I aman electronics tech and electrican in Industrial maintennace, ahve about 8 years experience, but i am a no-go for industries and I am only 51.. Industry needs to get off the human resources college manual and go back to being like companies were before the eighties and hire the older workers. We at least show up every day.

 

[ba1614]

Which brings up a really good point. Who is going to hire all these old people we aren't going to let retire when we push the retirement age higher?

Perhaps people should look out for their own retirement and stop asking their neighbor to pay for it.

What? Do you think that makes sense in some way?

One of the proposals to "save" Social Security is to raise the age of retirement. Whose gonna hire all the old folks, skilled or not? How many times have you seen someone over 65 as a new permanent hire?

Corporations won't hire them. They prefer the young, fresh kids that won't stick around long enough to work towards a pension. Corporations lay off their old folks to hire these new young guns that don't care about health insurance and their futures.

Who is gonna hire the old folks?

It isn't governments job to ensure you can retire at 65, that's on you. Don't blame me for you, or anyone else, not being able to control your own destiny.

 

[The Rabbi]

We need more people going into Trade jobs.

I agree! Union or non-union?

Non union of course.

Those union people make way too much.

If I didnt think you were being sarcastic I'd pos rep you. Yes, union people make too much. How do you know? Because if they were paid fairly they wouldn't need a union.

 

[bodecea]

We need more people going into Trade jobs.

We currently have in excess of 3 million high tech jobs waiting to be filled in the US. Since we have become so anti-education, there is no one with the training and education to be qualified for these jobs.

Mittens has said he will fill them from China. Obama has said we need better educated teachers and better education in order to compete with other countries.

In China and India (possibly other places as well), the state supports education. From very early on, they teach their children to speak other languages, including English. We are dead set teaching our children to speak other languages so college grads are not qualified for jobs where other languages are used. We want it that way. Just as the R.

The GObP/pub/pot race to the bottom continues.

You might not believe it, but most high tech jobs don't require a college degree. This can be easily demonstrated by the fact that Gates, Jobs, Zuckenberg, and quite a few other people who are giants in the tech industry never graduated from college.

Holding those people up as examples of making it without college these days is like holding up professional athletics to kids as a viable career opportunity...very very few make it that way.