Mike Rowe: Student Loan Crisis, Skills Gap Tied to Loss of Shop Classes

Reality TV actor and pitchman Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame told Fox Business Network this week that the death of shop class in America’s high schools has fueled the nation’s $1.6 trillion student loan debt and worsening skills gap. “We have unintentionally maligned an entire section of our workforce by promoting one form of education at the expense of all the other forms,” Rowe said.

Regarding the education system’s continued messaging that kids need four-year degrees, he said: “We’re lending money we don’t have to kids who will never be able to pay it back, to train them for jobs that don’t exist anymore. That’s nuts.” 6/23/2021