How did you survive a late apprenticeship at 35?

[meltpfeffer]

I'm 35, drive trucks, earn good money. But I don't want this forever. I always wanted to be a tradie working for myself. I can't AFFORD the pay cut for a 4-year apprenticeship. For those who did an apprenticeship late, how did you survive? Was it worth it?

 

[totemcannon]

Always wanted to, never could.

Been driving trucks now for 21 years and I’ve hated it for probably at least 15 years.

I’ve tried againn and again to get out, can’t be done, so now I’ve given up and doing the opposite and going all in, buying my own truck to hopefully dig myself a path out that way, it’ll never happen as an employee.

It means locking myself in for at least another 10 years but at least it’s a plan.

 

[EpicGecko47]

Not quite the same but you could buy your own truck.

 

[brokenbouldermgr]

I’ve been wanting to do a heavy diesel apprenticeship too, tbh, bc it'd help me be a truck driver, but I just can't justify the shit money, imo.

 

[DragonVanilla]

You can get out of it, but it always comes down to whether the investment (the pay cut) is worth it. There are plenty of other options besides trades.

 

[codecanvas]

Leaping from one AI doomed job into another with the same expiration date. Already seeing it in the professions, modern vehicles are making drivers steering wheel attendants, so axing the pricey fleshy bit is the next cost cut win. Humanoid platforms like NVIDIA and Unitree will wreck the trades in a flash they're about two years away.

 

[CubicHazard]

prob can do trucking later on, so at that age i'd start thinkin bout the body n how long you'll last as a qualified tradie n stuff. tbh it depends on the trade, like a sparky's gonna get a longer working life than say a framing chippy, ya know?