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On the other hand, Keisha applied to an apprenticeship programbecause therewas a long history of this training path in her family. “Bothmy grandfather and father trained to become welders via an apprentice program,” she says. “I liked the mixture of classroomand hands-on training offered by the apprenticeship program. I also liked the idea of getting paid as I learned. That doesn’t happen in college.” Keisha had a great experience during her apprenticeship. “I learned a lot, made a living while I was training, and, most importantly, didn’t graduate with any college debt.” (Debt is money that is owed to a person, company, or organization.)

Although women make up only 4 percent of welders, more females are entering the field.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Wall Street Journal reports that students who graduate from college with debt start their professional lives with an average financial burden of $37,712. That much debt takes more than a decade to pay off, if not longer!

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CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: WELDER