For three days in early February, ACT Ohio met with teachers and administrators at the 2016 Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC).
On behalf of all of their affiliated construction trades, ACT Ohio engaged conference attendees about the opportunities building trades apprenticeship can offer individuals and discussed many of the positive aspects of building trade apprentices.
The ACT Ohio booth at OETC 2016.
The message was clear: students should strongly consider a career in the construction trades.
Many educators agreed that college is not for every student and were happy to learn of alternatives to college such as building trades apprenticeships, which offer a great option for those looking to begin a career immediately after completing high school. By choosing an apprenticeship with any of ACT Ohio’s 12 affiliated building trades, men and women over the age of 18, who have either a high school diploma or a G.E.D., are setting themselves up for success for the rest of their lives.
Unlike college graduates who can struggle to repay student debt of ranging anywhere from $10,000 to $250,000, apprentices receive a free education. They learn while they earn, meaning they work and go to school at their designated training center, allowing them to gain much needed on-the-job experience and classroom education. This combination allows the trades to produce the highest skilled construction workers in the industry.
As more and more college graduates struggle to find work using their degrees, building trade apprentices are already using their education on the jobsite. Also, first-year journeymen can easily earn more money than most college graduates can in their first year with their bachelor’s degree.
Thanks to all who stopped by and spoke with us at OTEC 2016. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@actohio.org.
For more information on building trade apprenticeship, please visit our apprenticeship page.
