4 alternatives to a 4-year degree: if the college route isn't for you, explore these other paths to a rewarding career - Achieving Your Goals

Careers and Colleges, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Nancy Fitzgerald

All through high school in his hometown of Huxley, Iowa, A. J. Sabers played drums in bands dedicated to the music of Metallica and Pantera. He also learned to play guitar, and soon he expanded his musical tastes to include jazz and blues. When it came time to choose a career, Sabers knew one thing for sure: It would definitely involve music. He also knew that he didn't want to spend four years in college. "I was getting A's and B's in high school, but I wasn't taking any college-prep courses," he says.

After graduation from Ballard High School, it seemed only natural that Sabers would head up to Red Wing Community College in Red Wing, Minnesota, where he enrolled in the school's one-year certificate program in guitar-building and repair. The cost of the program, including fees, is about $5,000--far less than year of college. And Sabers, 20, expects his investment to pay off quickly. Experienced guitar craftsmen can earn about $60 an hour, according to Dave Vincent, program director at Red Wing. Sabers also hopes to make connections that will land him jobs playing drums for recording sessions and live performances.

Like many other young people, Sabers discovered that a college degree isn't the only path to a satisfying, high-paying job. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 20 percent of all jobs require a bachelor's degree, but 60 percent require some kind of post-high-school training.

"The key is finding what you really love to do," says Iris Rosoff, editorial director of the Cool Careers Without College book series (Posen, 2002). "Just because you don't go to college doesn't mean that you have to get a job flipping burgers or working at the mall. You just have to find out what your interests are and then learn about all the opportunities that are open to you." Here are some paths that lead to those opportunities quickly--and inexpensively.

1. APPRENTICESHIPS

Henry Long was the kid who was always fixing things, so after graduating from high school in Yorktown, New York, he set his sights on a career in mechanical engineering and enrolled at Clarkson University in Potsdam. But after a year and a half, he found himself back home again. "I had a hard time sitting in the classroom," Long, 29, recalls. "I really like to get out and work with my hands."

Long got a job with a roofing contractor, making great money but quickly realizing that there was no room for advancement. "It was backbreaking work," he recalls. "My dad said to me, 'You don't see any old roofers, do you?' That's when I started thinking seriously about learning a trade. I wanted a chance to work with my hands, but also to use my head."

In 1996, Long entered the apprenticeship program run by the National Electrical Contractors Association and the electricians' union in Westchester County, New York. The program prepares young people for challenging--and high-paying--jobs in the electrical construction industry. Although the program lasts for five and a half years, participants--called apprentices--go out on the job after only a few weeks of classroom training, putting the theory they learn in the classroom into practice as they help install the power for homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals.

Long worked a 35-hour week out in the field while attending trade school two evenings a week. Classes were taught by experienced journeyman electricians--those who have already been through an apprenticeship and have extensive field experience. This year, nearly 50,000 young people enrolled in electrical construction apprenticeships nationwide, and apprenticeships are run by other trade unions as well, including those representing plumbers, sheet metal workers, and carpenters.

Long completed his apprenticeship in the spring of 2001. Now, as a journeyman electrician, he than $30 an hour, and can expect his paychecks to get bigger as he progresses to the rank of foreman, general foreman, and superintendent. He also receives great benefits, including paid vacation and health, dental, and vision insurance.

Sometimes the job is tough, Long admits. Working mostly on commercial and industrial projects such as hospitals and schools, be is often outdoors in all kinds of weather. But in spite of the drawbacks, he loves his work: "There's an art to being an electrician--bending pipe in a way that it looks nice to the eye but is also functional. It's a great blend of working with your hands and using your brain."

2. COMMUNITY College

In June 1999, Sarah Snell graduated from Sheridan High School in Sheridan, Wyoming, with a perfect 4.0 average. She had her heart set on a nursing career, but didn't have the luxury of spending four years preparing for it. The mother of a six-month-old baby boy, Snell, needed to get out into the workforce quickly, and find a good job to support herself and her son. So she enrolled in the registered nurse (RN) program at Sheridan Community College. The program combines rigorous coursework in subjects like anatomy, psychology, and math with clinical training at local hospitals and nursing homes.