Associates Degrees – Paid Apprenticeships – Technical Training Sites

+ State and Federal Minimum Wage Table is at End of Blog

We know it can be discouraging to make a low wage, but understand a four year education seems like a large hurdle to overcome. There are other options to create a more abundant income and future. Why not consider an associates degree.? To start, the highest paying two year degrees come from an array of industries. Paid apprenticeships in a trade are often overlooked when trying to find a new path. Fortunately, today we have many technical training sites both in person and online at our fingertips.

We hope you find the below table, 10 years of state and federal minimum wages useful. We found it interesting seeing which states participate in the federal program. The grey column displays this years wages while the green column shows next year. You will also notice that states and wages in red have a federal minimum wage in place. The black text in the 2020 column shows next years raised state minimum.

Finding education

The United States places special emphasis on providing accessible, discounted education to individuals who find themselves alarmingly unemployed with no place to turn. Unemployment can befall anyone, and many times, it consumes individuals who went to school for a craft or trade that has quickly faded into irrelevance. In order to get back on the horse and out in the work field, many of these unemployed individuals need to go back to school, or acquire a new skill they know nothing about. A government support network exists specifically for these individuals on unemployment benefits, and it’s referred to as Educational Assistance.

Officially known as the New Educational Opportunities for Unemployed Workers, this benefit network catches thousands every month who slip through the crack of workforce relevance. It has been proven, time after time, that Americans with more education and training have more secure jobs and higher earnings. When jobs become scarce and hard to find, these individuals, too, may find it beneficial to go back to school for additional training.

Individuals receiving unemployment benefits can qualify for this training. In particular, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,550 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. The Pell grant is only one example of several federal student aid programs available to assist unemployed workers.

In order to get started, an applicant must first decide what type of education or training best meets their passions and needs. If an individual cannot identify what they should choose, they should consider visiting: http://www.careeronestop.org/.
They can also visit their local community college or One Stop Career Center for help in identifying potential opportunities.

Next, they are prompted to apply for financial aid through FAFSA: www. Fafsa.gov. Once applied, they are able to go to the financial aid office at their selected college, and get started with the process. It is worth noting that various colleges and different states go about FAFSA differently.