Mike Rowe, the previous host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, highlighted concerns regarding the national shortage of blue-collar workers amidst the rise of new technologies.

During his speech at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, Rowe proposed that trade-based occupations could be a remedy for the looming threat of job loss due to artificial intelligence advancements.

‘We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to code. “Learn to code,” we said,’ he told audience members. ‘Yeah, well AI is coming for the coders.’

These advancements are not targeting positions like welders, plumbers, steamfitters, pipefitters, or electricians, as these sectors are currently experiencing significant labor shortages.

Rowe even claimed that BlackRock CEO Larry Fink once told him the nation needs 500,000 more electricians over the next few years.

‘Not a week goes by that the Blue Forge Alliance, who oversees our maritime industrial base – that’s 15,000 individual companies who are collectively charged with building and delivering nuclear-powered subs to the Navy … calls and says “We’re having a hell of a time finding tradespeople. Can you help?”

‘I said, “I don’t know man… how many do you need?” He says 140,000,’ Rowe recounted, telling audience members how there is an urgent need for at least 80,000 technicians right now.

‘These are our submarines,’ he emphasized. ‘Things go hypersonic, a little sideways with China, Taiwan, our aircraft carriers are no longer the point of the spear. They’re vulnerable.

‘Our submarines matter, and these guys have a pinch point because they can’t find welders and electricians to get them built.’

Rowe went on to say that the automotive industry is in need of 80,000 collision repair and technicians, while the energy sector needs somewhere between 300,000 to 500,000 more employees.

Manufacturers are also having trouble finding workers, with about 400,000 jobs currently unfilled, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

‘That’s the underlying thing that I hope people really take from this conference,’ he said, adding: ‘There is a clear and present freak out going on right now.’ 

‘I’ve heard from six governors over the last six months. I’ve heard from the heads of major companies. It’s like a memo went out and people are realizing, “You know something, we need to tend to this.”‘

Rowe then concluded his speech by telling ‘young men and women in this state that a bright future awaits if they… learn a skill that’s in demand. 

‘That’s going to resonate politically, that’s going to resonate practically. It’s gonna move the needle,’ he vowed. 

Rowe’s speech comes just weeks after the New York Times reported on manufacturers’ concerns attracting and retaining workers.

It noted that some companies need to use specialized equipment that requires employees to have extensive training and familiarity with the software – which is becoming increasingly harder to find as fewer young people attend vocational school.

‘For every 20 job postings that we have, there is one qualified applicant right now,’ lamented David Gitlin, chairman and chief executive of Carrier Global – which produces air conditioners and furnaces.

But his job will likely see a growth in demand with the rise of artificial intelligence, as the massive data centers are built with cooling systems called chillers.

In total, Gitlin estimates that each AI data center would require four technicians to maintain a single chiller.

And as these data centers grow, more and more white-collar workers may soon find themselves without a job.

Earlier this month, Ford Motors CEO Jim Farley even predicted that artificial intelligence will ‘replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the US.’

‘AI will leave a lot of white-collar people behind,’ he told Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Ideas Festival, shortly after Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced future workforce cuts were likely as the company continues to implement AI in its operations.     

More recently, it was announced that Indeed and Glassdoor, the hiring and public HR platforms that have transparently connected employers with online applicants, will replace six percent of its staff with AI.  

Most of Indeed and Glassdoor’s layoffs are expected to hit US workers, particularly in research and development, HR, and sustainability teams, according to an internal memo obtained by DailyMail.com. 

Indeed CEO Hisayuki ‘Deko’ Idekoba said the cuts include some leadership shakeups. 

He wrote in an email to staff that ‘AI is changing the world.’ 

‘We must adapt by ensuring our product delivers truly great experiences for job seekers and employers,’ he added.