Go to School Free and End Up With a Six-Figure Job? Here's How

Brandon Archilla, a former barber and truck driver, is on his way on an all-expenses-paid path that will lead him to a six-figure salary.
By Rhonda Schaffler ,

Brandon Archilla, a former barber and truck driver,  is on his way to an all-expenses paid path that will lead him to a six-figure salary. He's one of 525 students getting paid to learn a trade at a five-year plumbing apprenticeship program in New York City, run by Plumbers Local Union 1 in Queens.

Competition for the program is stiff, and demand is high. Archilla was one of thousands who lined up in the street when applications became available. "I waited on line for three days, slept on the street," said Archilla.

Once he applied, "about a year later they called me to get in, which is probably the best thing that's happened to me," he said. As part of the program, Archilla gets paid to $14 an hour to attend school and work under supervision. At the end of five years, he will earn more than $65 an hour as a journeyman plumber, and walk away with an Associates Degree in Science from The State University of New York's Empire State College.

The best thing about it? Archilla pays absolutely nothing for the training. "We all know that college isn't for everybody. We call our program the other four year degree," said Brent Booker, secretary-treasurer of North America's Building Trades Unions. "You get skills training, you earn while you learn."

The federal government has declared this as the first ever National Apprenticeship Week, and the North American Building Trades Union is hosting open houses in more than 15 cities this week,  to raise awareness about apprenticeship programs. The programs attract people like Archilla, who was eager for a steady job with benefits, along with high school graduates, college graduates looking to switch vocations, and military veterans. 

Veterans come into the apprenticeship programs thought Helmets to Hardhats, which helps them transition from military to civilian life.  'Through New York City Helmets to "Hardhats, they have placed nearly 500 veterans in careers in the construction industry across the five boroughs since 2013," said  Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.  

The Trades Union has invested about $1-billion to run 1600 programs around the country. "It's not taxpayer money. It's not public money. It's all privately financed money that goes into our training structure," explained Booker.  Both unions and employers contribute to an education fund that covers the programs' tuition costs.  In some programs, the federal government contributes money as well, and recently issued $175-million in apprenticeship grants.

With college costs rising, and the need for skilled workers rising, the federal government is touting apprenticeships as a win-win, and has set a five-year goal to double the number of apprentices nationally.

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