Mike Rowe Donates $1 Million To Teach Young Adults Trades In Work Ethic Scholarship Program

The iconic “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe announced on Wednesday that his eponymous foundation is donating $1 million to his work ethic scholarships, which are meant to teach young adults trades.

We’re churning out a generation of poorly educated people with no skill, no ambition, no guidance, and no realistic expectation of what it means to go to work. – Mike Rowe pic.twitter.com/gZphwMXpkJ

— Bankable Insight (@BankableInsight) August 6, 2023

Work Ethic Scholarship Program

“Here are the recipients of our work ethic scholarship program,” Rowe tweeted. “$1M was awarded to 200 students in 41 states covering 15 trade programs.”

“Congrats to those who made the list,” he added. “To those that didn’t, don’t be discouraged. The next scholarship program opens Aug. 23, 2023.”

Here are the recipients of our work ethic scholarship program. $1M was awarded to 200 students in 41 states covering 15 trade programs. Congrats to those who made the list. To those that didn’t, don’t be discouraged. The next scholarship program opens Aug. 23, 2023. pic.twitter.com/H9bLdS4H1K

— The Real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) August 9, 2023

‘Make Work Cool Again’

Rowe is going above and beyond to promote hard work to young people. On his foundation’s website, he states that the problem our country has these days is that “we’ve made work the enemy.”

“America has become slowly but undeniably disconnected from the most fundamental elements of civilization—food, energy, education, and the very nature of work itself,” he explained. “Over the last 30 years, America has convinced itself that the best path for the most people is an expensive, four-year degree.”

“Pop culture has glorified the “corner office job” while unintentionally belittling the jobs that helped build the corner office,” Rowe continued. “As a result, our society has devalued any other path to success and happiness. Community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs are labeled as ‘alternative.’”

That’s why Rowe is on a mission to “make work cool again.”

“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,” he added. “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 the 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.”

Here is my perfectly reasonable chat with @nickgillespie. A chat so important, and so dripping with reason, we’ve made it available on different platforms. You can listen on @Apple https://t.co/5qzo83hvJ2 @Spotify https://t.co/dRflA50eOC your favorite podcast app pic.twitter.com/7vOCy2WOAl

— The Real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) August 1, 2023

Related: Mike Rowe Sides With Bill Maher On Washington Post Meltdown: ‘Democracy Dies In Dumbness’

Rowe Slams Government Handouts

Earlier this year, Rowe slammed the government for enabling millions of men to quit working. He said this after it was revealed that there are 779,000 open jobs in manufacturing, yet millions of men are still choosing not to work, and Rowe believes government handouts are to blame.

“It’s almost as though some entity is paying them,” he told Fox News. “It’s almost as if somebody is not letting them fail… some giant parent.”

“We’ve given a lot of men a lot of options, and incredibly one of those options is ‘do nothing. Do nothing,”” Rowe continued. “I think it’s a giant issue, and by the time we realize how big of an issue it is, we’re going to have a hard time turning the temperature down.”

Mike Rowe is in town to meet hardworking Oklahomans like Will and Tim. pic.twitter.com/odj33NBfQ4

— OERB (@OERBOK) July 20, 2023

Related: Mike Rowe Cites a Real 9/11 Hero in Response to Kaepernick’s Nike Ad

Back in March, Rowe celebrated the news that more American students are deciding against applying for college.

“Fifteen years ago, the writing was on the wall. Every time five people leave the skilled trades, two replace them,” Rowe told Fox Business. “It’s just bad math. So we knew it was coming.”

“We also knew that colleges were raising tuition faster than any other commodity that’d ever increased: food, real estate, health care, all of it,” he added. “And now the chickens have come home to roost for real. The problem is still with us.”

“Work ethic is important because, unlike intelligence, athleticism, charisma, or any other natural attribute, it’s a choice.” – Mike Rowe pic.twitter.com/glwVV3c0cM

— G&R Construction (@g_rconstruction) August 9, 2023

It’s sad that we’ve been living in an era where the concept of hard work is not seen as “cool.” We applaud Rowe for going above and beyond to change this, and we wish all of his work ethic scholarship recipients the best of luck in all of their future endeavors!