There are 5.9 million jobs empty right now because employers can't find qualified people to fill them. Apprenticeships might be the solution!
$42 an hour to be a plumber
CNN Money recently ran a report about a young man who graduated from a 4-year college with $75,000 in debt. The only job he could find after college was as a server in a restaurant.
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So he got a 5-year paid apprenticeship working with a plumber's union. He's already making $28 an hour. By next year, he'll make $42 an hour.
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Now, being a plumber is not my first choice. Maybe it's not yours either. But the idea I want to impress on you is there are high-paying jobs out there that require technical schooling or may have an apprenticeship available.
Not many people do apprenticeships anymore, which is a shame. That's because everybody thinks college is the answer to everything...and it's not.
For me, like many other parents who are college-educated themselves, I think in terms of my kids going to college. But if one of my 3 kids said, "That's not my path. I want to do X, Y or Z instead," I would be in favor of it. Because to me, it's important that you do work that you find fulfilling.
The reality is there's a lot of stuff you could learn at a state-supported technical college or in an apprenticeship where you're going to make really good money. College is great, but it's certainly not the answer for everybody. And for a lot of people who go to college, it doesn't speak to them and they drop out and wind up owing debt for student loans.
Better to pursue what you love! You'll be amazed how many other details take care of themselves!
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