(bright music) - So I got interested in the trade because my dad's a construction worker, he's a painter.

But I always wanted to be like him.

I wanted to wear boots and I wanted to wear a hard hat and all that fun stuff.

I wanted to pick a thing where I could go to work right out of high school.

(upbeat music) The co-op program through the Greene County Career Center, you went to work for two weeks and you went to school for two weeks, as long as your grades were good.

It was an incredible experience, honestly.

It really helped with me becoming independent.

(bright music) - From the electrical wiring class at the Greene County Career Center, there are two different apprenticeships that you could join.

A non-union apprenticeship and a union apprenticeship.

Between those two there are some vast differences.

The non-union apprenticeship is only four years, the tuition for that, as of right now is $2,000 per year.

Now generally, a lot of the contractors that you're working for will pay for your tuition, but not all contractors will if you're in that apprenticeship program.

And then at the end of that, you have certificate that say Journeyman Wireman Card.

Now, for the union apprenticeship, it is a five year program and there is zero tuition attached to that, per year.

There is a book bill cost of around $500 per year.

You could get sponsorship through the Union Hall.

If you have good grades, you will get your book bill paid for.

Union apprenticeship offers the same things the non-union apprenticeship offers, as far as curriculum.

The base theory of the electrical is all the same.

You are in school at all times.

At the end of the union apprenticeship, you're gonna end up with a journeyman wireman certificate as well.

- I am doing the union apprenticeship.

You get a raise every single year.

Right now, we are working on our code, which is the National Electric Code.

We have been doing lots of hands-on stuff in class.

- It's work and go to school at the same time.

Schooling lasts Fall to Spring, Summers off.

It's in the evenings, and then they work a normal 40 hour week.

They're getting paid while they're going through the apprenticeship program.

They start at about $13 an hour.

When they're done and they top out, become journeyman wiremen, they're at about $32 an hour.

At our company at Chapel Electric, just about all the senior management including the president of the company, all went through the apprenticeship program to begin with.

We hire all our apprentices out of Local 82 in Dayton, Ohio.

We're looking for people willing to learn that have a good work ethic, show up on time, show up all week.

You know, that's the biggest thing.

- You know, it's helped my family financially because I've got four siblings.

My family would not have been able to afford college, it would have been on me.

So since I'm working and going to school at the same time and my school is being paid for, my parents are proud of me.

- Four year schools are expensive, and this is something they can start right out of high school and go right to work, making money and making a good living.

It's a $68,000 - $70,000 a year job, and you have no college debt.

- I think it's important for young people to consider having apprenticeships or just getting into the trades, because you're getting paid to learn.

Not everybody is gonna want to go to college, and people should know that there are other options.

(bright music) (music ends)