elelbean,
loads and loads of good suggestions so far.
I'll go with gunzo and a couple of others. Figure out what kind of situation he wants to live in and figure out what kind of career would work in that kind of area. Then do what's necessary to achieve that dream.
Reading las's post about the person making big bucks in a major city in the South after growing up in Arctic Native villages gave me the shivers. Works great for those that like cities, and I guess some are willing to put up with the stress in order to make that kind of dough. It's not for certain folks though, and could thoroughly ruin a person's life if caught up in it and "stuck" there.
I made good money for years as a Union commercial baker, think Wonder Bread. Lived in a major metro area, had bucks to chase girls, go drinking, buy some nice fishing eqpt, a new car at age 23, and all the stuff that came with the lifestyle. Never got anywhere in life.
Changed course, decided I wanted to live in a more rural setting and earn a "decent" salary while not chasing the riches. In my case I went the University route, got a degree in a field that provided numerous opportunities to live .in some fairly remote places, working with fish which I love to do, and retire with a "decent" .gov/SS/IRA combination type income. Might like to change the final outcome a bit, as my wife ended up with a really nice paying job in a nice rural area and we ended up with a really nice piece of property and house.........but it's in California. Politically, it's not to my liking, even being in one of the, if not THE reddest county in Cali. Other than that, I'd not trade being poor for four years in college, traveling back and forth across and north/south in our great land and all the hassle of those multiple moves, living away from my wife and dogs seasonally for years, and not feeling settled until now, for all the money and retirement I would have earned staying a baker in the big cities.
For me, locality I'd want to end up at would be my highest priority if I was starting out again. Then it would be career choice, based on that. Where I live now, there's not much demand for robotics techs, but a good dental tech would find work, same as about anyone in the medical field. A licensed physical therapist, even at the assistant level could likely make a decent year round living. We're in a bit of a "dying" area industry wise, so even welding and fabrication skills are not that much in demand. Construction is a seasonal gig, as there's not much building going on here during the winter.
Another thing mentioned, is the boy a stay at home type, sees settling down and raising kids as the most important thing in life? That's going to drive some decision making then. Wanting to advance in some "trades" might involve moving long distances if employed by large companies, the Feds, or even a State agency in a big state.
I wish him the best.
Geno
