Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe is giving away $10 million to get Gen Z into trades—and says the skills gap has never been worse

Television host Mike Rowe saw it all on the set of Dirty Jobs. The Discovery Channel reality series brought audiences into the worlds of some of the most physically taxing and messy trade roles. It explored the daily routines of sewer inspectors, the grimy yet essential work of septic tank technicians, and the grim conditions within custom meat-processing facilities.

Around the time he was hosting the show, Rowe launched the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, an organization dedicated to reemphasizing the value of skilled trades as an alternative to the traditional four-year degree. Through the foundation, he awards scholarships to people pursuing careers in the trades.

This year, Rowe is doubling the award size from last year to $10 million, as he said interest in the program is higher than ever. The 64-year-old said he’s received 10 times as many applications as he usually does since the foundation’s launch in 2008. Still, Rowe said it’ll take a massive effort to shift the national perception of trade roles, especially as AI places white-collar work on the chopping block

“You’re talking about turning around a tanker,” Rowe told Fortune. “It took a whole generation or more for the skills gap to get as bad as it is right now. And it’s going to take some time to fix it.”

In June 1979, manufacturing employment reached an all-time high of 19.6 million jobs.........

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