America needs people who can build, fix, and power the country. Right now, there aren't nearly enough of them.
Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, sat down with Stuart Varney on FOX Business' "Varney & Co." to sound the alarm. He discussed the growing skilled labor gap, the role of artificial intelligence, and the push to steer more Americans toward the trades.
The Numbers Are Stark
A new national report from the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades projects roughly 1.7 million skilled trades openings every year through 2035. Meanwhile, training programs are turning out only about 55 workers for every 100 the country needs.
Rowe noted the shortage varies by trade and by state. But across dozens of fields, he said, the problem is showing up almost everywhere.
CEOs Are Worried
Rowe said he hears about it constantly from the top. Every week, he gets a call from a CEO in a major industry who is panicking about finding workers.
He called it the "problem of the decade." In his view, it won't be solved until the country takes a different approach.
The pressure is being felt in housing, too. Home Builders Institute CEO Ed Brady has warned that the AI data center boom is pulling skilled workers away from residential construction, worsening the housing crunch.
🤖Al is changing the job market, but what does that mean for skilled trade workers?
We sat down with Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) to talk about how the rise of Al could impact trade jobs and the workers who keep America running. " 🔨⚡️
Do you think blue-collar jobs are truly… pic.twitter.com/XBhsOxgcEs— Varney & Co. (@Varneyco) September 30, 2026
Attitudes Are Shifting
There's some good news. Rowe said more Americans are warming up to trade careers as four-year degrees grow more expensive and AI threatens to reshape white-collar jobs.
Demand through his foundation alone is up tenfold compared to a year ago. Rowe said something has clearly changed, and he suspects AI is a big part of it.
Policy Catching Up
Washington is starting to take notice. The Trump administration's new higher education rule ties federal student loan eligibility to graduates' earnings, putting pressure on college programs that don't deliver a return.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has also warned about the skilled worker shortage. Private companies are stepping up as well, with Google partnering with veterans groups to help 25,000 people launch trade careers.
For a generation weighing six-figure debt against six-figure trade jobs, the choice is looking clearer than ever.