Completed by:

The Unsilenced Advocacy Team

Career Training Tips

Learning A Trade

  • Requirements
    • A high school diploma or GED.
    • Money, Student Loans, Apprenticeships, and/or Personal Loans.
  • Where do I go to learn a Trade?
    • Community College
    • A 2-Year Vocational or Technical School
    • A Specialized Trade School
    • Through Apprenticeships
    • Through Vocational Training
    • Through Certification-Completion
    • Through online coursework

What Kind of Learner Am I? (Note: you can be more than one!)

  1. Visual Learner: Do you learn best seeing information, and visualizing the relationship between ideas in your head? Do you prefer reading a book to an audiobook? Do you have an eye for art? Do you remember things best when you can see them? Do you like diagrams, tables, maps, and charts? Do you ever draw or map out your thoughts or ideas? You may be a visual learner.
  2. Auditory Learner: Do you prefer to hear information, rather than read it? Do you remember things that are said to you with ease? Do you prefer audiobooks to reading? Do you have an ear for music? Do you learn best through live or recorded lectures? Do you ever record your thoughts/ideas and listen to them? Do you like listening to podcasts? You may be an auditory learner.
  3. Kinesthetic Learner: Do you like tactile-stimulation? Do you learn best through experience? Do you prefer a hands-on learning experience? Do you learn best with repetition (repeatedly doing something)? Do you find completing tasks satisfying? You may be a kinesthetic learner.
  4. Reading/Writing Learner: Do you learn best through interacting with written text? Do you find taking notes to be most helpful to learn and memorize information? Do you highlight and/or annotate articles or books to help you retain the information? Do you remember things best when you right them down? Do you find making flashcards helpful for memorization? You may be a reading/writing learner.
  • Are you a Social or Solo Learner?
    • Social Learner: You prefer to learn with people.
      • You work well in groups and can be a team-player.
      • You learn best observing and communicating with others.
      • You may thrive most in in-person classes, instead of online classes.
    •  Solo Learner: You learn best on your own.
      • No trade is completely solo-learner-oriented, but some trades present opportunities for solo-learning more than others.
      • You may enjoy and thrive in online classes more than in-person classes.

Types of Trades

  • Agriculture Skilled Trades: Kinesthetic, Visual, and/or Reading/Writing Learners.
    • Farm or Ranch Manager, Agricultural Equipment Operator, Animal Caretaker, Forest and Conservation Technician. Nursery and Greenhouse Managers.
    • Obtained through 2-year schools, community colleges, or apprenticeships.
    • You will need student loans, apprenticeships, and/or a personal loan.
  • Construction Skilled Trades: Kinesthetic Learners and/or Visual Learners.
    • Boilermakers, Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, Carpenter, Carpet Installers. Cement Masons and Terrazzo Workers, Construction and Building Inspectors, Construction Equipment Operators, Construction Workers.
    • Obtained through apprenticeships, 2 year-schools, and community colleges.
    • You will need student loans, apprenticeships, and/or a personal loan.
  • Transportation Skilled Trades: Kinesthetic, Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and/or Solo Learners.
    • Automotive/Motorcycle Service Technician, Bus Operator, Truck Operator, Train Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator, Heavy Equipment Technician, Aircraft Maintenance Technician.
    • Obtained through a community college or a 2-year technical or vocational school.
    • You will need student loans.
  • Service Skilled Trades: Social Learners, Reading/Writing Learners, Visual Learners, Kinesthetic, and/or Auditory Learners.
    • Nurses, aides, patient care assistants, service technicians, hospitality management, veterinary technician, office management, administrative assistants, personal assistants.
    • You will need student loans.
    • Obtained by community college, and 2-year technical or vocational schools.
      • For nursing, you will need a specialized 2-3 year technical school, and you will need to pass your state board exams to obtain your nursing license.
  • Manufacturing and Industrial Skilled Trades: Kinesthetic, Reading/Writing, and/or Visual Learners.
    • Welders, mechanics, machinists, tool and die makers, programmers.
    • You can obtain these trades through a community college, 2-year vocational or technical school, and/or apprenticeships.
    • You will need student loans and/or apprenticeships.
  • Esthetician Licensing: Kinesthetic and/or Visual Learners.
    • Hair stylist, Makeup Artist (MUA), Esthetician (facials, microdermabrasion, waxing specialist, etc.).
    • Can be obtained through a cosmetology school, community college, or 2-year vocational school.
    • You will need student loans.
  • Tattoo/Piercing Artist: Visual Learners and/or Kinesthetic Learners.
    • Obtained through apprenticeship.
    • You will need apprenticeship and possibly a personal loan.
  • Yoga, Meditation, and/or Breath-Work Instructor: Kinesthetic, Auditory, Visual, Reading/Writing, and Social Learners.
    • Obtained through a 200-750 hour certification-completion training from a Yoga school recognized by the Yoga Alliance.
    • You will need a scholarship from a Yoga school, or personal loan for this.
    • Make sure the Yoga school is recognized by the Yoga Alliance.
  • Fitness Instructor: Kinesthetic, Auditory, Visual, Reading/Writing, and Social Learners.
    • Personal Trainer.
    • Obtained through community college, a 2-year vocational or technical school, or through a certification-completion.
    • You will need either student loans or a personal loan.

What Trade positions make the most money?

How do I negotiate a higher salary?

Is there a resource we are missing? Please email us at info@unsilenced.org so we may add it.