The age of over-relying on credentials is fading out, according to Mike Rowe.
“I think we’re coming out of a period where we have relied too heavily on credentials,” Rowe said during an interview on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” Tuesday.
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When Varney asked Rowe – best known for creating and hosting the iconic Discovery series “Dirty Jobs” – whether the “demands of many jobs” require too many credentials, he said: “Yes,” and that it stands in the way of getting more workers into skilled trades.
However, he is not necessarily “against” some credentials and proof of learning.
“Obviously, we need those things, but it’s very rarely right where it ought to be, in my opinion,” he said.
Rowe, who champions the fostering of trade skills, careers and work ethic through the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, further explained the impact of fixating on hiring those who are credentialed versus those who lack them, but may be better qualified with their skill sets.
“When we rely too heavily on the credential, on the checklist, then I think we make a bad trade, and we often overlook people who are, in fact, the most qualified to help us close the skills gap, which is very real,” he stressed.
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He concluded by highlighting how there are a vast number of jobs that can be filled without a college education, and that his foundation’s scholarship provides an alternative for those seeking another avenue for a career.
“As you know, 7 million jobs [are] open right now. Most of them don’t require a four-year degree. Many pay six figures,” he said. “That’s what the scholarship is for.”
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