Home builders see labor shortage as their biggest concern for 2019

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Published Date 4/12/2019

Want those houses? Somebody’s got to build them first. Unfortunately, it seems there are fewer and fewer skilled individuals being trained to do it. According to an article by the National Association of Home Builders, more than 4 out of 5 builders expect to face serious challenges regarding the cost and availability of labor in 2019.

Looking to bring attention to this critical need is everyone’s favorite Dirty Jobs guy, Mike Rowe, who is offering a scholarship program through his charitable foundation that will offer money for skilled jobs training in plumbing, electrical and welding. For the past 5 years, Rowe and his organization have offered its work ethic scholarship, now taking applications through June 4th. While the amount awarded is unclear, the organization refers to it as a “pile of money” in its 2018 video clip, and Rowe said the foundation has at least $500,000 to give away, having doled out more than $5 million so far.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant needs to be a high school senior, graduate or GED recipient, enrolled or planning to enroll in a vocational school with a graduation date later than Dec. 1, 2019. No slackers are welcome: all applicants are required to sign Rowe’s “S.W.E.A.T. Pledge” — a 12-point treatise designed to hold its signer to Rowe’s own standards of what makes someone worthy of such a gift.

Rowe is not making this a cakewalk for those who simply don’t see themselves as college-bound or who prefer not to work in fast foot places the rest of their lives. In addition, applicants will need at least two references, excluding family members and must submit an essay about why they want to work in the trades and what makes them deserving of the scholarship, along with a short video that helps make their case as a worthy recipient.

“Bottom line – work ethic scholarships are for people who are hungry to learn a skill that’s in demand—it’s for the people who wake up early, stay late, and bust their ass day in and day out. Naturally, people like this are hard to find, but they’re out there,” according to the scholarship website.

Mike Rowe’s goal is to help people get trained for skilled jobs that actually exist, according to the foundation’s website. He thinks there is an inordinate amount of student loan debt and that we should challenge “the absurd belief that a 4-year degree is the only path to success.” He is passionate about this and speaks often about it during his podcasts and public appearances.

For more information about the scholarship, go to https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship/

Source: NAHB, Dontwasteyourmoney.com, TBWS

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