Mike Rowe And PureTalk Team Up On Trades For America's Military Vets
Why veterans? 'Because they've got the soft skills down,' Rowe told me on my Manufacturing Talks Web Show and Podcast yesterday. 'They're going to show up on time. They're going to stay late if need be. They'll tuck their shirt in. You know, you don't have to worry about so many of the things that employers struggle with beyond the skill itself. They're teachable by and large. But of course, more than that, we kind of owe them, you know?'
One practitioner with long experience with veterans and trades training couldn't agree more. Tony Lawrence is the program manager for another partnership in that world, the Academy for Advanced Manufacturing, through which Rockwell Automation and ManpowerGroup provide a free 12-week program in industrial automation for select military veterans. 'I've seen firsthand the extraordinary potential our U.S. veterans bring to the skilled trades,' he told me via email. 'Veterans possess a unique combination of discipline, leadership, and technical aptitude that aligns perfectly with the demands of advanced manufacturing and other high-skill industries. Yet, many transitioning service members face challenges translating their military experience into civilian credentials.'
That's where Rowe and the leaders at PureTalk want to help. 'There ought to be a vet-friendly on-ramp into every business as far as I'm concerned, but especially the skilled trades,' said Rowe.
The new partnership, which culminated in a $50,000 donation PureTalk made last year to Rowe's mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is something Rowe says developed over the past several years. 'PureTalk was a bit of a surprise, because you don't think of a wireless company as a skilled labor play, right?' he explained. 'But I do this podcast… called 'The Way I Heard It,' and we have all kinds of advertisers who like to come and I'm increasingly focused on only working with companies who make something in America, because I'm passionate about that, or who share my belief that closing the skills gap has become a matter of national security, and just through weird circumstances, these guys at PureTalk, they were advertising on my podcast. And I was in Georgia almost a year ago, and decided to drop in on them, you know, just to say hi and introduce myself. And I met the owner of the company, and I saw the fact that, you know, they've got this great campus down in Covington… They gave me the nickel tour and when I left, I said, 'Look, if there's anything I can ever do with you guys beyond this podcast relationship, let me know.' Like a week later, the owner made a very generous donation to my foundation, and I love that, you know, obviously. And then I look closer and what they're doing with our veterans—America's Warrior Partnership is an incredible foundation, and they're super supportive of that. I just like them.'
According to PureTalk's leaders, that feeling is mutual. 'We're proud to partner with Mike Rowe, whose longstanding leadership in advocating for skilled labor and supporting veterans aligns perfectly with PureTalk's mission,' said William Curry, chief strategy officer at PureTalk's parent company Telrite Holdings, via email. 'It's been a great journey so far, from backing Mike's podcast, 'The Way I Heard It,' and the impactful work of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, to now expanding our partnership to help veterans and hardworking Americans find the support and connection they deserve.'
That approach rings true for Lawrence. 'That's where programs like ours step in—bridging the gap through intensive training, mentorship, and direct pathways to employment,' he said. 'By investing in our veterans and equipping them with 21st-century skills, we're not just filling a critical workforce gap—we're honoring their service with opportunity. Skilled trades are the backbone of our economy, and empowering veterans to lead in these fields is both a smart business strategy and a national imperative."
For Rowe, it's also about just doing the right thing for those of our citizens who have sacrificed so much on our behalf. 'When I think about our vets... I think about what we do to prepare them for the fight,' he said. 'I think about boot camp and basic training. And we're pretty good at getting a citizen ready to be a war fighter, but we're not real good at getting a war fighter ready to transition back into polite society, right? We need a reverse boot camp of some kind, and I'm doing what I can to try and push that boulder up the hill too.'
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