How To Earn Six Figures Without A Four-Year Degree

WAMU 88.5

Published June 12, 2017 at 11:06 AM EDT

An instructor at the Siemens training center in Berlin, Germany with apprentices. In Germany, apprenticeship training is much more common than in the United States.

By 2025, two million jobs will be unfilled because U.S. companies won’t be able to find the skilled labor they need. Many of these jobs provide a middle-class salary — some pay six figures annually — and don’t require a four-year-degree.

How to get one of these jobs? Apprenticeships. This age-old practice with origins in medieval times is now gaining traction again in the United States. Economists and corporate leaders say apprenticeships can lead to interesting and stable careers, ranging from robotics and mechanical design to medical sciences and even high-end gourmet cuisine — all without college debt. We’ll explore how to find an apprenticeship, the pros and cons and common misunderstandings.

GUESTS

Nicholas Wyman, CEO, Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation; author of “Job U: How To Find Wealth And Success By Developing The Skills Companies Actually Need”

Ken Hitchcock, Director, Pickens County Career and Technology Center in Liberty, South Carolina

Christine Scullion, Director, human resources policy, National Association of Manufacturing

Cory McCray, Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates; electrician and former apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Robert Lerman, Fellow, Urban Institute; founder, American Institute for Innovative Apprenticeship; professor emeritus of economics, American University

For more, visit http://the1a.org.