As the Trump administration continues to threaten Harvard with the prospective removal of billions in federal grants, Mike Rowe, best known as the host of the popular series "Dirty Jobs," has a bold plan for how that money could catapult America's trade workforce.
"If I had to choose between, should Harvard get $3 billion, or should trade schools, in that world… Obviously, the trade schools. But I think that there's a bigger issue, honestly," Rowe revealed during an appearance on Tuesday's "The Bottom Line."
The Trump administration has been warring with the elite institution over alleged failures to adequately address antisemitism and made additional threats amid a foreign student records dispute.
TRADE SCHOOL ADVOCATES CHEER AS TRUMP THREATENS TO REDIRECT HARVARD FEDERAL FUNDS
The duel between Harvard and the Trump administration has ignited broader questions about how much federal funding elite universities receive — and whether the money would be better spent elsewhere.
"If I were king of the world with three billion dollars, I would set up the biggest scholarship fund in the history of the country, specifically for the skilled trades," Rowe continued.
"And I would build an infrastructure that would allow people to apply but then be weighed and measured in a way that the taxpayer felt good about… If we're going to give these kids a full ride to learn how to weld or how to be a plumber, let's make sure they really want to work."
Funding isn’t the only challenge, Rowe says. A generational shift in values has left many young people unaware of the thousands of well-paying trade jobs available to them.
"I would spend some of that money making a persuasive case for the jobs that actually exist. The problem, in my view, right now, isn't too few Harvard grads — it's a lack of enthusiasm for the trade schools," he argued.
"I'm sure they'd welcome the money, but what exactly would they do with it to change the stigmas and stereotypes that have kept a whole generation of kids from exploring these careers? That's what has to change if we want to close the skills gap and address the will gap."
MIKE ROWE WARNS OF TROUBLING TREND AMONG WORKING-AGE MEN, SAYS TRADES ARE THE ANSWER
Despite Rowe's warning, enrollment in vocational training programs is seemingly "surging."
"The number of students enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges rose 16% last year to its highest level since the National Student Clearinghouse began tracking such data in 2018. The ranks of students studying construction trades rose 23% during that time, while those in programs covering HVAC and vehicle maintenance and repair increased 7%," The Wall Street Journal reported in April 2024.
While enrollment trends show promising signs for trade jobs, Rowe argues that educational priorities and financial disparities remain at the forefront of the conversation.
OpenTheBooks unearthed that Harvard's $53.2 billion endowment has grown by $14 billion, or $2 billion annually, since 2018.
In total, the top-tier Ivy League school has more than $7 million per undergraduate student, the watchdog's report indicated.
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"This is the wealthiest university on the planet. And their president right now is making an argument that they're due, under the Constitution, their tax-free status. So, there has to be a giant reset button, obviously," Rowe explained.
"But we also need, in my view, to really understand that while there’s reason for optimism in the stats David [Asman] just shared," Rowe said, referencing a 2024 National Student Clearinghouse study showing trade program enrollment is up 16%, "I’m not inclined to panic — but if I could reach the panic button, I’d hit it right now."
Fox News' Taylor Penley and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
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