A while back, I got a call from Ford asking if I’d help get the word out about the real pros working at their dealerships every day to keep all our cars and trucks running. They also asked me to host Ford’s ACCELERATE the Essential Economy conference.
I was excited to be asked but also worried they may have called the wrong person. I don’t know much about cars. When I got my first used car in high school, the stick shift was sticky to the touch, so I put a tennis ball over the knob to keep my hand less gross.
That’s the first and last time I tried to fix a car.
But seriously, I was honored to be asked – I have always dreamed of working with Ford and love my Bronco.
I often talk about Ford as the type of company I want to build – their work is quality, and it’s a family-owned business that people not only want to work at, they want their children and grandchildren to work there, too.
But, could I be the spokesman for “Real Parts. Real Pros. Real Easy” with this little knowledge about cars? And what’s the essential economy anyway?
When I met with Ford for the first time, they made it really straightforward. I didn’t need to know about the “Real Parts” or be one of the “Real Pros.” They already have people for that. I’m the “Real Easy,” which is a position I feel very qualified for.
This campaign isn’t about me knowing things. It’s about me not knowing things, and that being totally OK. That’s because Ford has the parts needed to fix your Ford. The people in the service department are pros that know what they’re doing, and they can even come to you, saving you a bunch of time.
And the Ford Pros, those are the kind of highly skilled, hardworking people that make up the essential economy. The essential economy is basically everyone who builds, moves, powers, and fixes the real world – everyone from construction workers and farmers to factory workers, electricians, plumbers, and of course, the people fixing your car.
There's a real shortage of skilled technicians right now, and it's only growing, according to the National Skilled Trades report. Ford trained more than 26,000 technicians in 2025. That’s 26,000 people who know much more about my car than I do, including where everything is.
We don’t just need more auto techs, though. By 2030, the same report says America could be short 2.1 million skilled trades workers, which is a big problem for all of us. Businesses can’t run and our country can’t move forward without these workers.
But Ford can’t do it alone. That’s why this Wednesday, Ford is getting together business leaders, government officials and workers themselves to talk about the essential economy at the second annual ACCELERATE. Ford's getting smart people (and me) together in Detroit to solve this.
Don't worry, they're not asking me to fix anything, I'm just there to talk and thank the tradespeople who’ve kept my car running and marriage alive. The goal is everyone leaves knowing how to close this gap, which is more than I can say for my knowledge of, well, anything mechanical.
They are the real pros and our country needs many more of them. You can watch by livestream and hear from the real pros working to build the next generation of America’s skilled workforce.
Nate Bargatze is a comedian, actor, and so much more. He is the new face of Ford's Real Parts. Real Pros. Real Easy. campaign and the host of this year's ACCELERATE the Essential Economy conference.
