It's nearing the end of graduation season in our state, and many people are looking to what's next in their life.
With the increasing cost of college, there has been a recent push for trade schools and finding apprenticeships where you can earn money as you learn.
Typically, when you hear of an apprenticeship, you think of manual labor like plumbing, construction and carpentry. But, in Michigan, you can do apprenticeships in other trades like accounting, beekeeping, engineering or teaching.
Stephen Hutchinson earned his degree in finance at Wayne State University. He secured a job specializing in retirement benefits for the Detroit Public Charter School District.
While he was there, his heart was tugging at him to teach, but the decision to go back to school and accumulate more debt wasn't an option.
Hutchinson enrolled in the K-12 registered apprenticeship program. He earned a State of Michigan teaching certificate free of charge through the Elite Group and Training Institute.
"It's helped us to attract talent. It's helped us to develop that talent and it’s helped us to retain that talent," Leo Carr, the executive president of the Elite Group and Training Institute, said.
Teaching is in high demand as our state faces a shortage of educators. Carr said participants have one year to finish an online course and teach three years in a Michigan classroom before being fully certified.
Another commodity is in high demand, EV chargers. The world of EVs is expected to soon take over our roadways, and a special apprenticeship program in Oakland County is allowing students to get in on the early stages of the evolving field and get paid while doing it.
"It is an exciting industry right now, very exciting, I'm telling you!" Duane Lobberstel said.
Lobberstel and Anna Drake with the State Electric Company has an apprenticeship where people learn how to install EV chargers.
"We have a critical need to train apprentices on the electric vehicle process. Whether it's the installation of the chargers, whether its commissioning or technology," Drake said.
Students like Nathan Olsen earn a living while learning the trade. In a few years, they'll graduate with the potential to immediately make $80,000.
"It feels nice, especially knowing it early now and eventually when our world turns into full EV, full electrical, we can all know more than anybody," Olsen said.
Both o the apprenticeship programs mentioned are possible with the partnership of Michigan Works.
