With all of the people who've graduated from colleges or only went for a short time or not at all, and still struggle to find work, there is an alternative. So many people have been convinced if they don't go to college they won't get anywhere and find themselves struggling to find decent paying jobs when they graduate. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of well paying opportunities waiting for people with a little bit of training and a good work ethic. We took several calls from people who own businesses desperate to find decent people to do decent work, some of it skilled, some of it very basic. All good honorable jobs with growth potential and a future.

One owner of an appliance repair company told us beginners could be making $50K easily within the first six months and over $70 in two years, with more room to grow. Some of the jobs offer real career possibilities with a solid future. And the best part of some of these training/apprentice/starter opportunities come WITHOUT future debt to pay off that you get with a college diploma. TV personality Mike Rowe has been a strong advocate for "the trades" and real honest work for years. He has a lot of good information and an outstanding foundation that offers scholarships.

Here are a couple of sites where you can find immediate opportunities to look into:

• For a career as a technician.
• For opportunities in a service business.
• For a job as a roll-off driver.
• For a job doing audio/video/networking/security installation, with Control4 certification.

Some of the callers with opportunities told us some of the positions are not just for recent grads, but also for people who are looking to transition into something new. There are alternatives to the diploma factories that most guidance counselors and peer pressure are funneling kids into. You get to learn real skills in the real world with a real future. Good luck!

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