“The Big Money Show” is responding to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s statement that America doesn’t have enough skilled workers for the coming infrastructure boom.
While Silicon Valley is spending billions to teach robots how to think, home improvement giant Lowe’s is pouring money into Americans who know how to build.
Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison is sounding the alarm as artificial intelligence threatens to hollow out white-collar cubicle careers. AI can write emails, but it can’t fix your roof.
“We are a company that strongly believes in the future of AI, and we believe that our commitment to skilled trades will become even more important in the near future in a world where managerial and analytical roles are increasingly dominated by the acceleration of AI,” Ellison told Fortune.
“AI, no matter how powerful it becomes, cannot climb a ladder to change the battery in a smoke detector,” he continued. “You can’t change the furnace filter. You can’t clean the dryer vent. You can’t fix the hole in the roof.”
Mike Rowe doubles down on Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘tone-deaf’ plumber joke by blasting him
Lowe’s also said the company is investing $250 million over the next 10 years to strengthen the backbone of the U.S. economy and hire and train 250,000 skilled workers. This includes plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, etc.
An employee moves an empty cart outside a Lowe’s store on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in Albany, New York. (Getty Images)
The goal is to fill the gap in skilled trade labor. According to the latest forecasts from Associated Builders & Contractors and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 349,000 new skilled workers will be needed to meet demand in 2026. Specialty trade contractors have added just 95,000 jobs since late 2024, and 92% of construction companies report difficulty retaining qualified talent.
Recent BLS data also shows that 47% of skilled tradesmen currently earn more than the median college graduate, and zero interest on student loans is eating into their take-home pay.
Young Americans have been sold a college career for decades, but Ellison, an MBA graduate, is calling for a cultural change. Now, even his own management team is steering their children into deals to avoid the trap of debt-ridden “prestige.”
Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWorks Foundation, has joined Varney & Co. Discuss the transition of white-collar to blue-collar employment and the launch of an initiative to promote skilled trades in Texas.
“It’s not that one option is better or worse than the other. It’s all about there being different paths to prosperity. All of us, including myself, need to do a better job of presenting the skilled trades as a rewarding and viable career, not just a backup plan.” “These trades are a way to create meaningful wealth for yourself, a way to earn a very dignified life, and you can do it with much less debt.”
“Choose your career path based on a natural interest in your skill set, not out of pressure for what you think is the most rewarding or most prestigious career,” he said.
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Kory and Ali Anderson, co-founders of Made by Anderson Brands, talk about their nonprofit organization that encourages and teaches skilled trades to students in “The Bottom Line.”
With $250 million in funding in reserve and a looming worker shortage, the message to American families is simple. The most prestigious job in 2026 may be the one that wears a tool belt.
“This is going to be very important for the future, not just for our company, but for our country,” Ellison said.
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