I was just talking to someone who teaches sociology at a community college. She told me that she tells students that if they want to make money they need to go into the trades. Our plumber makes $65 an hour--I think almost as much as some of my doctors! I don't know many college graduates with a BA who can make that much money. Plus they have student debt as opposed to apprentices who don't. Jennifer made a really good choice. It's also great to have the President and the Secretary of Labor who appreciate the value of apprenticeship in economic growth and frequently promote it. I was on the White House website and did a word search on "apprenticeship" and found it several times. It even looks like President Obama is incorporating apprenticeship into his stock speech as being a post-secondary option for training the workforce.

Check out this link! http://www.whitehouse.gov/search/?keywords=apprenticeship

Examples are below:

Liveblog: The Task Force's first meeting

efficiency money in the ARRA, how do we help spend it in a way that greats good jobs? Van: The moment is now. The money is here. Now it is about doing it right. Because we could do this poorly and wrong. But let's do it well and right, by: Using our existing workforce development mechanisms, community colleges, and labor apprenticeship programs. Sticking to High standards. The best trained workers in this area are our labor members. Help them bring it to...

Remarks of the Vice President at the First Meeting of the Middle Class Task Force, Panel One

you two hours of training and that's it.  No, what we're talking about here is like what they did in L.A.  In L.A. there is electrical training (inaudible) southern California, a labor management partnership, jointly sponsored by a union in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and a business coalition of private contractors.  The training required is like -- is required under an apprenticeship model, requiring over 1,000 hours of...

Remarks of President Barack Obama -- Address to Joint Session of Congress

will expand our commitment to charter schools.   It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work.  But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it.  And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training.  This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship.  But whatever the training...