How changing careers can be less intimidating if you have the support you need
PHOTO COURTESY OF KURT TEITSCHEID
Kurt Teitscheid wasn’t happy working as a fitness trainer. He was looking for a change of pace and the opportunity to earn a better living. More importantly, he was looking for a career that afforded him a path to bigger things. He found it at the Placer School for Adults when he enrolled in the residential construction pre-apprenticeship training program.
“I considered doing the community college thing and possibly even transferring, but I wanted to work while I learned, so I decided I’d rather start work now,” he says. “I grew up on a lot of horse property, almost a small ranch, so I grew up doing all sorts of odds and ends around there. …I learn fast, I’m able-bodied, you can make decent money in construction, so I went for it and took a shot.”
“The most satisfying part is the trajectory I feel that I’m on is much better.”
Kurt Teitscheid, Graduate, Placer School for Adults residential construction pre-apprenticeship training program/Solar Installer
Teitscheid says the thought of going back to school and changing careers—finding a way to make ends meet while paying for tuition—was initially intimidating. When he saw an ad for the pre-apprenticeship program, he saw it was more affordable than he had thought. Not only did he get the training he needed, the program also provided job placement assistance and connected graduates with companies looking to hire, and one of these recruited Teitscheid.
“They’re able to see you’re committed to what you’re doing because you’ve finished your class and they have feedback from your instructor,” he says. “I definitely believe that helped.”
For the past five months, Teitscheid has been doing solar installations and is in training for new opportunities. He’s keeping his long-term career goals open: Either a career as a residential electrician or working on power lines as a linesman. Today he’s happy to have a career with room to grow instead of a 9-to-5 job.
“I have more energy, I have more time and I’m making more money. Overall, the most satisfying part is the trajectory I feel that I’m on is much better,” he says. “It is hard, but anything worth doing is going to be hard. I tell people just to clearly define your vision—where do you want to be? And then make a decision toward it. If you make a decision to work tirelessly and put all of your effort into that, then there’s no way you’re going to fall short.”
For more information on programs available at the Placer School for Adults, visit placeronline.org or call 530-885-8585.
Written by Anne Stokes
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Central California | Careers in Manufacturing-Construction |
