Mike Rowe’s Discovery Channel TV series called Dirty Jobs doesn’t only entertain its audience with gross displays of utterly dirty occupations. It also has a voice for some of the issues that face our national economy. In fact, the show’s website features a segment, “Work Is Not The Enemy,” which supports the steel-toed, hard, and underrated American working man’s place in our economy.

“Doesn’t it seem strange that we can have a shortage of skilled labor, a crumbling infrastructure, and rising unemployment? How did we get into this fix? Are we lazy? Our society has slowly redefined what it means to have a ‘good job.’ The portrayals in Hollywood and the messages from Madison Avenue have been unmistakable. ‘Work less and be happy!’ For the last thirty years we’ve been celebrating a different kind of work. We’ve aspired to other opportunities. We’ve stopped making things. We’ve convinced ourselves that ‘good jobs’ are the result of a four year degree. That’s bunk. Not all knowledge comes from college. Skill is back in demand. Steel toed boots are back in fashion. And Work Is Not The Enemy” (mikeroweworks.com).

Anyway, the point of this segment is to illustrate the need for skilled laborers in the United States in any state of economy — good or bad. These skilled laborers are typically trained through apprenticeship programs. There are many programs available for individuals interested in apprenticeship opportunities. For a list of Florida apprenticeship resources, click on the picture above or visit mikeroweworks.com’s Florida Apprenticeships.