#Students, #Parents, #Educators - Go ahead, keep believing that the #skilledtrades are a “Fall back option” or “Beneath you, your child, or your students”. In the meantime, young adults are crushing it all over the Midwest (Including Iowa).
“Last year, Zitzka (23) says he took home $58,000 as an #apprentice; this year, once he finishes his #apprenticeship, he’s set to make between $90,000 and $110,000. Better still, he has no student loans to repay and was able to buy a home last year.”
According to this Fortune article, Tyler joined an apprenticeship program with a sheet metal workers union directly out of high school. Not only did he avoid student debt, but the education offered through the apprenticeship was paid for! Skilled based educations are becoming more popular with employers looking to plug in new hires to technical positions as quickly as possible. In turn, those that choose programs in highly sought areas of talent are quickly rewarded for their new skills.
Many skilled trades positions are currently filled by aging populations. In Tyler's union, the average age for his HVAC role was 50. With even more of the skilled workforce on the verge of retirement, the opportunities for the next generation continue to improve.
“Being in the trades, you value yourself the more you educate yourself,” Zitzka says. “The more I practice, the more I better myself, the more valuable I’m going to be, the more people are going to want me. People will be fighting over me.”
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