Almost walked away from a $19k welding cert in Tulsa, glad I didn't
When I signed up for a 6 month welding program at Tulsa Community College, my uncle laughed and told me I was burning $19k on a piece of paper. He had spent 22 years in the oil fields and kept saying nobody cares about a cert, only what your hands can do. I almost dropped out in week 3 when the tuition bill hit and my savings dipped under $2k. But the program had a job board at the back of the shop, and by week 10 I had 4 shops asking for my resume before I even finished. I walked into my first pipe welding gig at $27 an hour, which was $9 more than the warehouse job I left. Now I keep meeting guys who skipped the cert and are stuck doing fence repair for $16. If you are thinking about a trade program, ask the school for their placement numbers first, that is what sold me.
Ha, your uncle spent 22 years in the oil fields and still thinks a piece of paper never helped anybody. Funny how the job board sold you before your hands even got the chance. Sounds like the cert paid for itself before you even walked across the stage.