Brace yourself, America—while tech wizards fret over artificial intelligence stealing their coding gigs, the real backbone of our nation, the trades, stands unshaken.
Fox Business reported that Mike Rowe, CEO of MikeRoweWorks Foundation and host of FOX Business’ "How America Works," delivered a wake-up call at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit on Tuesday, spotlighting the irreplaceable value of blue-collar jobs like welding and plumbing amidst a growing skilled labor crisis.
Rowe didn’t mince words when he pointed out that while the tech crowd has been chanting “learn to code” for over a decade, AI is poised to disrupt those very jobs. “AI is coming for the coders,” he warned. Well, isn’t it ironic that the digital darlings of the progressive agenda might soon be outpaced by a robot, while a good old wrench remains untouchable?
Unlike the tech sector, trades such as plumbing, electrical work, and pipefitting are safe from AI’s reach, according to Rowe. He emphasized that these hands-on roles are not just jobs, but lifelines for our infrastructure and economy.
Yet, there’s a storm brewing in the skilled labor market, as retirements outpace new entrants at an alarming rate. For nearly two decades, for every five tradespeople hanging up their tools, only two step up to take their place.
Rowe called this trend downright “scary” during a chat on Fox News Radio’s "The Brian Kilmeade Show," and he’s not wrong to sound the alarm. When major corporations can’t even hire the skilled workers they desperately need, we’ve got a problem bigger than a leaky pipe.
Back in June 2024, Rowe raised the stakes even higher, warning that this shortage isn’t just about empty job listings—it’s a national security concern. If American production falters due to a lack of capable hands, we’re not just talking economics; we’re talking vulnerability.
The numbers paint a grim picture, with the Associated Builders and Contractors estimating that the construction industry alone will need nearly 439,000 new workers in 2025 to keep up with demand. That number jumps to 499,000 in 2026. Turns out, ignoring the trades for flashy tech degrees has consequences that can’t be debugged.
Demand for skilled labor isn’t slowing down anytime soon, driven by infrastructure projects, energy transitions, and the shift to hybrid workspaces, as noted by consulting firm McKinsey. Every crumbling bridge and repurposed office building needs a human touch, not a chatbot.
If these roles go unfilled, the fallout won’t be pretty, warns ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. Labor costs will skyrocket, making already expensive construction projects even pricier, and potentially grinding feasible work to a halt.
Rowe summed up the crisis with a stark statistic: “Every year, for every five tradespeople who retire, two people replace them.” That’s not just a gap; it’s a chasm, one that’s been widening for 18 years while too many cheer for virtual reality over actual reality.
This isn’t about nostalgia for the “good old days”—it’s about recognizing what keeps our country running. Tradespeople aren’t just building houses; they’re building stability, something no algorithm can replicate.
Rowe’s message is a clarion call to young Americans: the trades aren’t just a fallback, they’re a future-proof path. While university debt piles up for degrees that AI might render obsolete, a welder’s torch still burns bright.
Let’s face it—the cultural push for everyone to chase a corner office or a Silicon Valley startup has left us short-handed where it matters most.
Maybe it’s time to trade the laptop for a hard hat, and rebuild America one skilled job at a time.
