( CNN ) -- Mike Rowe says he did n't consciously seek a cause to support -- it found him . For eight seasons and in more than 300 episodes , the host of the Discovery Channel 's `` Dirty Jobs '' met hard-working Americans doing work that no one else would do . But these were all jobs that help make the world go round . The show , inspired by Rowe 's grandfather , a plumber , aimed to celebrate the men and women in trade jobs . But in 2008 , the TV show host became in demand as a spokesman on employment issues . `` The economy went sideways , and suddenly I found myself in this weird position of being associated with hundreds of jobs in all different types of work , '' says Rowe , who will host the upcoming CNN series `` Somebody 's Got ta Do It . '' `` So reporters started calling me to get my opinion on things like the widening skills gap and crumbling infrastructure and currency evaluation and outsourcing and all sorts of stuff I 'm not really qualified to talk about , but because I was in that space , I had kind of an interesting perspective , and I started to say things along the line of you know I know unemployment is headline news , but everywhere I was going on 'Dirty Jobs , ' I saw help-wanted signs . '' Rowe says the folks featured on his show were telling him the same thing . `` They all said how hard it was to find people who were willing to retool , retrain , learn a truly useful skill and apply it , '' he says . Rowe says he realized his mission was to bring attention to this disconnect and get people talking about the skills gap . And so he created a foundation called Mike Rowe Works . `` Mike Rowe Works evolved to shine a light on a lot of jobs that for whatever reason were going unloved . Welders , steamfitters , pipe fitters . The building trades . ... And so it began as kind of a PR campaign for hard work and skilled labor , '' he says . `` I challenged the fans to help build a trade resource center online , and they sent thousands of links to these apprenticeship programs and scholarships and on-the-job training opportunities . So all of that came together , that worked . '' Rowe 's foundation awards what he calls `` work-ethic scholarships . '' `` This is money for kids who are willing to learn a truly useful skill . Get up early , stay late , work their butts off . You know ? So Mike Rowe Works wants to reward the place where we think all success starts -- work ethic . So that 's our scholarship plan , '' he says . Beyond scholarships , Rowe says he wants to take the stigma out of trade jobs and schools . He says people need to change their attitudes about what comes after high school . As a youth , his guidance counselor warned him not to waste his time on a two-year school after graduation because it was beneath his `` potential , '' he says . The counselor `` went on to show me this poster . This crazy poster in his office . Two guys . A recent graduate holding his degree and looking very happy and optimistic next to a mechanic , head down , covered in grease . And the caption ( said ) , 'Work smart , not hard , ' `` Rowe recalls . `` We 've had this false choice , you know , this idea that those careers are ( for ) people who really are n't cut out for college . This implicit suggestion that they 're subordinate ; well it 's not a mystery that today it 's those very careers that are lacking . You know ( we ) need people in those careers . That 's where the opportunities are , '' he says . Rowe says attitudes toward employment and education must catch up with the times . `` We 're still saying things like work smart , not hard . Go get your four-year degree , trillion dollars in student loans , lending money we do n't have to kids who ca n't pay it back , educating them for jobs that do n't really exist anymore , it 's all twisted up . '' He says he 's not against college degrees or academic approaches , but he wants people to know they are n't the only way -- all avenues should be championed that can lead to success . Rowe is out on the road on what he calls `` a PR campaign for hard work , '' bringing his message to anyone who will listen . He talks with fans through social media and meets with government officials , even taking his views all the way to Capitol Hill . `` We need to promote an ethic of work . And there 's no way one guy or one company is going to be able to do it . It has to be a big hot mess -- public , private , government , NGOs and smart alecks on the TV talking about it . ''
Ex- '' Dirty Jobs '' host says he set up foundation to promote hard work . He says public needs attitude adjustment about views on trade unions and schools . Mike Rowe talks on what he calls ` ` work - ethic . '' ` ` We need to promote an ethic of work , '' he says .