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Gen Z Cares Less About College, and Mike Rowe Says That’s a Good Thing
By Movieguide® Contributor
A longtime proponent of trade careers, Mike Rowe explained why it is positive that younger generations are placing less of an emphasis on receiving a college education.
“The parents and guidance counselors truly believe that the best path for their kids is the most expensive path,” Rowe told Tucker Carlson. “But the latest research, when you really sit people down and take a deep dive…Gen Z right now is ranking the importance of a college education out of 50 different things at 47.”
“It used to be three…It made me wonder, has something shifted in that generation that I just haven’t seen, and I’m hopeful that it has,” he continued. “People are starting to get the message that just because you’ve got $200,000 in debt and a nice diploma doesn’t mean the world is going to beat a pathway to your door. It doesn’t mean you’re going to get hired in your chosen field.”
“[It] doesn’t mean anything at all,” he added. “Except for the fact that you owe $200,000, right? That’s what it means.”
“Kids have been told from the cradle they are screwed without…a four-year degree. They believe it. They look around and see it reinforced,” he told Fox Business. However, “You meet enough of those people [in debt], you see enough of it with your own eyes, and pretty soon, the evidence just demands a verdict.”
“I am not anti-college,” he added. “I am just anti-cookie cutter advice.”
Since touring the jobs of America on his show DIRTY JOBS, Mike Rowe has strongly advocated for kids and teens to consider alternative paths other than college after they graduate high school. The Mike Rowe Foundation, which he has been running for over 16 years, offers scholarships for those looking to learn trade skills. The foundation gives out millions in scholarships every year.
“We’re on a mission to help close the skills gap by challenging the stigmas and stereotypes that discourage people from pursuing the millions of available jobs,” the foundation’s website explains. “We’re redefining the definition of a good education and a good job, because we don’t think a four-year degree is the best path for most people. We want people to understand the impact of skilled labor on their lives, and we’re convinced that the solution has to start with a new appreciation for hard work.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Mike Rowe, a major advocate for trade schools, explained why the younger generation is forgoing college for other opportunities.
“I’ve been hearing a lot lately, ‘Why aren’t people having kids? What the heck’s going on?’ And I’m probably the wrong one to ask since I don’t have any, but man, I get it,” Rowe told Fox News. “You start looking at the numbers, like, what actually happened?”
“You have kids 40 years ago, where do you send your kids? To public school. Which one? The closest one. What’s it cost? It doesn’t cost anything, you know. You need a babysitter? There’s a girl down the street, she’s great. Five bucks an hour, maybe. College? There’s a great community college down the street, costs haven’t gone bananas yet,” he continued.
“If just feels like on every single front, people have sat down and gone, ‘I dare you. I dare you to raise a family…’ I do believe it’s gonna go splat. I do believe it’s gonna tip,” Rowe added. “And I think you can see it in credentialing in higher education right now.”
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