Why your next apprentice might have a college degree
There’s a whole crop of people in their twenties who got the degree, worked the “safe” job, and are now looking hard at the trades. Here’s how to hire the good ones.
When most contractors picture an apprentice, they picture an 18-year-old fresh out of high school. Some of those kids turn into great techs. A lot of them leave the first time a buddy offers them a dollar more somewhere else.
There’s another group out there, and almost nobody is recruiting them on purpose.
Who they are
They’re 22 to 30. Most finished college or got close. They spent a couple of years managing a retail store, working a call center, or sitting at a desk doing work that didn’t need the degree they’re still paying for. At some point they ran the math on what a licensed tech makes in five years and decided they were in.
That last part matters. They’re not drifting into the trade. They’re choosing it, usually after trying the other path first.
What you get
- They’ve held a job. They know what showing up on time means, because they’ve done it somewhere they didn’t even like.
- They can learn from a book and a screen. Code, manuals, training modules, EPA 608 prep. Useful when the classroom part of an apprenticeship kicks in.
- They talk to customers. Plenty of them came out of retail or service jobs. That shows up the first time they walk into somebody’s kitchen.
- Ask for a ride-along before they say yes. The ones who still want it after a day in July are the ones you keep.
- They’re making a decision, not killing time. Somebody who walked away from a salaried job to do this isn’t looking for an excuse to leave.
What to watch for
Not every grad who says they want the trades means it. Here’s what I’d check:
- Have they done anything with their hands? Fixed a car, helped on a job site, built something. You’re not looking for skill, you’re looking for interest that existed before they got desperate.
- Did they talk to anyone in the trade? A ride-along, a relative who’s an electrician, anything. People who did the homework stick.
- Can they live on apprentice pay? Ask straight out. Somebody with big student loans and rent in Midtown may not make it at $17 an hour, and it’s better to know before you train them.
- Can they get to the shop at 7, every day? Reliable car, valid license, clean enough record to drive your truck. A great attitude that can’t get to work is the guy who doesn’t show up Monday.
- Why now? “I’ve been thinking about it for a year” is a better answer than “I just got laid off.”
Where to find them
Not on the usual trade job boards, mostly. They’re searching things like “should I go to trade school after college” and “is HVAC a good career change.” That’s why we built RecentCollegeGraduates.com, which helps grads figure out whether a trade beats their degree. The ones who decide it does are who we put in front of you.
Questions
Are college graduates good apprentices for the trades?
Many are. Career-changers in their twenties have usually held a job, can handle the classroom side of an apprenticeship, and are choosing the trade deliberately. The key is screening for real interest and whether they can live on apprentice pay.
What should I ask a career changer in an interview?
Ask what they've done with their hands, whether they've talked to anyone in the trade, whether they can live on apprentice pay, and why they're making the change now.
Can a college graduate get free trade school in Georgia?
Not always. HOPE Grant and HOPE Scholarship hours are capped together, so a Georgia graduate who used HOPE in college may have little left. Learning on the job as an apprentice avoids that problem.
Want us to find them for you?
We recruit for HVAC, electrical and plumbing contractors across Georgia.
$2,500 per hire, 90-day replacement guarantee, nothing unless you hire.