Second episode of Mike Rowe’s new YouTube program. I have a few tears. This is a terrific organization.

A new study shows the number of children and adults diagnosed with autism has increased by 175% over a decade. That’s just…astonishing. There’s a lot of disagreement as to why this is happening, and this episode will not shed any new light on the potential reasons…nor will it delve into the surrounding controversy. It will, however, reveal the incredible contribution that the autism community is making to close America’s skills gap.

The organization is called T.A.C.T., which stands for Teaching the Autism Community Trades. The genius behind this movement is Danny Combs, and what he’s accomplished so far is nothing short of extraordinary.

@StandTogetherCC‬ a philanthropic community that helps America’s boldest changemakers tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems. Learn more about the people making a difference in their communities and how Stand Together supports their efforts:

https://bit.ly/3Gw2xQB

00:00 Cold open
00:47 COMING UP…in this episode
01:22 Meeting Sarah in downtown Denver
01:53 Flashback to first meeting Danny Combs
02:29 What is TACT
04:47 Talking about the national skills gap
06:35 Sarah tries welding
08:05 TACT’s job placement rate
08:37 Arriving at TACT
09:22 Receiving a welding gift
09:55 Explaining the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge
10:38 Meeting future carpenter, Lauren
12:56 Planning how to surprise Danny
14:08 A memorable lunch with TACT students
15:33 Sarah shares her ADHD diagnosis
16:41 Meeting a TACT graduate
18:20 Meeting a TACT employee liaison
20:24 Setting up the surprise for Danny
23:59 Prank-calling Danny
26:09 Revealing the surprise!
29:16 Giving a gift to Sarah
30:02 A message from Danny and Becky
30:44 A special thanks to Stand Together
31:39 Show outro