[nvahalik]

> why not go apprentice yourself somewhere

There has been a big push in the last 20 years or so to make sure that everyone makes a "living wage". This, in turn, makes it nearly impossible for people who want to learn a trade while making something (anything) from actually doing so. Their work and time is basically worthless. They can't be paid accordingly, so they just don't...

Unless you want to volunteer, but most organizations don't value volunteer time because it isn't "real work".

[crow_t_robot]

If you can take out a $100k loan and 4 years off work to get a degree then you should be able to do the same to apprentice somewhere. I get what you are saying, though.

[idiotsecant]

Skilled trades apprenticeships in states with a sane labor culture are well paid and sought after positions.

[ghaff]

One distinction is between being an apprentice to some craft that doesn't pay much under the best of circumstances and being an at least minimally useful apprentice/helper to a skilled trade that is pretty highly compensated. It's a lot easier to pay the latter decently than the former.

[bsder]

> There has been a big push in the last 20 years or so to make sure that everyone makes a "living wage". This, in turn, makes it nearly impossible for people who want to learn a trade while making something (anything) from actually doing so.

Checking Austin IBEW, it goes from starting apprentice at about $17/hr+benefits and goes up every year guaranteed until hitting about $34/hr+benefits at base rate for a journeyman. "Living wage" isn't going to impinge on that except at the very bottom.

However, people don't want to do trades because it's really hard work.

[ghaff]

Many people object to unpaid or minimally paid internships but that's pretty much the only option for many types of apprenticeships where the apprentice is learning but isn't really doing anything very useful.

[lotsofpulp]

Either that type of work will die out, or the demand for it will cause the price for the work to increase allowing pay for the apprentices.

[ghaff]

Or things just continue as they have for decades.