For Good Paying Jobs for Teenagers, Think Outside the Box

Consider good paying jobs for teenagers in construction; here, a teenage construction worker learns from an experienced professional

Nowadays, good paying jobs for teenagers can be hard to come by.

There’s your traditional fare: bagging groceries, running a cash register, stocking shelves, waiting tables…

Some of those jobs might pay ok, but they typically don’t have much advancement potential. And if you’re not planning to attend college, it can start to feel like those entry-level jobs for teenagers are all you’ll ever be able to do.

Thankfully, that isn’t true. At all.

In many communities, there are opportunities for teenagers that pay better than the typical high schooler jobs, offer advancement potential, and impart valuable skills that make you competitive on the job market throughout your life.

School construction programs

At many high schools, there are vocational programs or construction classes that can place students in great jobs before they even graduate.

Basically, a student who meets the minimum age requirements (this might vary by state or by the stipulations of a particular employer) to be present on a construction site can get an entry-level job with a reputable construction company. The classes at school have prepared them for this by providing construction credentials and safety training. In many cases, the students have all of the training as new adult entrants to the construction workforce!

At Construction Ready, we bring these types of programs to high schools so that they can train the next generation of construction professionals.

In addition to providing teacher training and curriculum, we help teachers connect with construction employers, take students to job sites, and host construction events and workshops. Many students begin their construction careers while still in high school. After turning 18 and graduating, they can begin advancing in the field, taking on more responsibility, and earning a high salary.

We see these students out-earning their peers who attend college all the time.

While they don’t start off earning that high salary, it’s very much within their reach if they begin working on job sites while still in high school. And since the construction industry tends to promote from within – and quickly – these young people are often earning middle five-figure incomes while their peers are still working on BAs.

Good paying jobs for teenagers over 18

Even if your high school or your child’s high school didn’t have a construction program, it might not take long to begin working in the skilled trades.

Due to an ongoing worker shortage, construction companies and trades contractors are eager to hire inexperienced workers as long as they’ve completed a baseline level of training. At Construction Ready, we offer just such a training program for individuals who are 18 years old or over and want to begin careers as plumbers, electricians, welders, HVAC technicians, or other skilled tradespeople.

To qualify for those jobs, nearly all of which pay well and offer significant advancement opportunities, there are couple different routes you can take:

  1. Get trained at a community college. Many technical and community colleges offer training programs in the trades. Typically, you will pay for tuition and attend the program for several months or up to two years in the case of an associate’s degree. You will graduate with a credential, be it a certificate or a degree, and you can go work for a trades contractor.
  2. Attend a dedicated training program. In this type of training scenario, you complete a rigorous course designed to give you the key credentials and safety training you need to be a useful, safe construction worker. You can go to work immediately afterward; the time and cost commitment is (or at least should be) minimal.

At Construction Ready, we offer just such a training program. It lasts 20 days and provides the credentials and safety certifications that employers are looking for. Since we include interviews as part of the training, our graduates typically exit the program with a job offer in hand. 97% of them have a job lined up before the training ends!

One of the best parts is that the program is fully funded. Since a combination of private donations and government grants cover the cost of attendance, students don’t have to pay for the training.

If you’re over 18 and are looking for good paying jobs for teenagers, the trades are a sure bet. Yes, you need to complete the necessary training. But after that, there really are no limits to how much you can earn!

Finding a great-paying job often requires an outside-the-box approach

That’s especially true when you’re still a teenager!

Even in the midst of an ongoing worker shortage in the construction industry, there aren’t many young people entering the field. If you’re a teenager looking for a good paying job, you can be the exception.

The construction industry wants you to get trained so that you’re ready to work! Take advantage of the opportunities available to you, whether that’s through a school program or a program for adult jobseekers.

To learn more about Construction Ready or attend an info session, get in touch with us today! We’d love to talk to you about your career goals or just what you’re looking for in your next job.

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