Employers are turning to apprenticeships, helping youth break into careers and avoid student loans

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Employers are giving students a chance to earn while learning, giving them more opportunities to break into careers without taking out student loans.

Hector Charles is a coordinator for a program he wishes was around when he broke into the trades.

"I didn't have these people coming out to schools. I didn't have Channel 13 News interviewing others and saying what we have these days," Charles recalled.

Charles works for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, A group that helps students break into careers using a hands on education.

From navigating heavy equipment to virtual reality, this education isn't costing students money. Instead, students are getting paid to learn it as part of an emerging workforce development tool known as an apprenticeship.

In mid-November, it's National Apprenticeship Week, and a number of programs showcased what they're offering.

"Employers in these types of training models that aren't just a quick certificate, a ten-week course," Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation spokesperson Jay Malone explained. "These are three to five-year programs or the equivalent of a college degree."

Students make upwards of $25 an hour. When they're finished, some careers pay more than $40 an hour.

Last year, Harris County invested more than $10 million into apprenticeship programs.

The money helps to create new education spaces, including a medical gas lab that'll train students to construct the new LBJ hospital.

These programs are typically male-dominated, but that's changing.

"We've actually seen a pretty substantial increase over the last few years in the number of women that are enrolling," Malone said. "About a 20 percent increase overall."

The trade industry isn't the only one seeing this kind of change. Apprenticeships are moving into aerospace, transportation, and even funeral homes.

"If I would've learned trade school in the beginning, I think it would've helped me out a lot better," Charles said. "College is pushed on kids these days, and there are other routes."

This is a new money-making opportunity that the mentors wish had existed when they were starting out.

For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.