Earn while you learn! Earn a competitive wage from day one, gain knowledge with structured learning and enhance your resumé with industry recognized credentials. Apprenticeship programs are developing a new generation of workers and they are rapidly gaining popularity as college students are stressing over how to pay their bills. Basically, an apprenticeship is a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training that prepares workers for high skilled occupations in a variety of fields including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, energy and technology. Apprentices are usually paid throughout their training and even get raises as their experience level increases.

Currently, there are 400,000 registered apprentices nationwide in 1,000 occupations. It is definitely worth researching if your interests coincide with one of these occupations. You will be very marketable when you complete your training and the average annual salary when you finish is $60,000. Not bad when you realize that your college friends are making zero dollars with mountains of debt after the same 4 years!

If you find the idea of an apprenticeship appealing, you should start by finding out if one is offered for the career you have chosen. Or even better, look through all of the listed apprenticeships and see if any of the job descriptions look interesting to you. As an added bonus, you can earn academic credit towards a college degree for the skills you learn during your training. And as a second bonus, the connections you meet in your field from day one will definitely help to advance your career in the future. Check out the links below to get started!

	Apprenticeship.gov As they say, they are the one-stop source for all things apprenticeship. Simply click on the job title that interests you to get more information or enter your desired career in the keyword section and press search. Selecting “apply” will take you to the actual job listing and application. Get Started
	Indeed Enter your city or zip code and narrow the search down to specific offers in your immediate area. There are posts for electricians, dog trainers, pipe welders, machinists, wealth management, etc. The list goes on and on. Get a thorough understanding of what the job requires, read reviews of the company, check out the pay scales, and apply right there on the site. It doesn’t get any easier than that! Get Started
	Trade Schools Another option for those of you who are avoiding a traditional college education is to consider a vocational program or trade school. Service industries such as HVAC, culinary and catering, cosmetology and massage therapy train their professionals in trade schools for a fraction of the cost of college. Click on the link below to get a better idea about trade school opportunities. Get Started
	Career One Stop Find career, training and job search resources just for you. Search the database for your state job service center and take a look at the options available. Apprenticeships in industries such as IT, finance, healthcare, hospitality, transportation, and manufacturing can be found. Good luck! Get Started