Editor’s note: This excerpt comes from the current issue of our sister publication, the Community College Journal, published by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) since 1930.
John Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, director, producer, writer and entrepreneur. Though he may be best known for his role as Cliff Clavin on the TV show “Cheers” or his voice work in every Disney Pixar movie, he’s also a strong advocate for educating people in the skilled trades. He recently served on the White House Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. Here he talks with AACC about breaking stigmas regarding the skilled trades.
There’s a continued stigma about the skilled trades. Why do you think that is?
The stigma around skilled trades started with the Woodstock generation. Once they started taking over the education system, they made the trades a last resort if you didn’t go to college. They pushed this idea that every child should strive for a four-year college education at the very least. To reinforce this mission, they started to cancel shop classes, which left millions of children with no primary education in a skill that would lead to a career.