My grandson (rightly IMO) chose trade school after HS. He has 8 certifications in welding and hasn’t been able to secure a job in the field in the DFW area. NO college debt!
Perhaps when the old union guys finally retire, he will be able to make a good living, as the businesses will need his skills. .....Meantime, he’s worked at Waffle House, Joe’s Crab Shack and is now driving a fork lift. Mid-20s, with skills and unable to find work in his field... Just like college grads of that age that are flipping burgers and are 10s of thousands in debt that they’ll never pay off.
if your son could pool with a few welders in his area with similar certifications(and similar problems with getting work)...they could start a business that can charge prices that undercut what the established business are doing in his area forcing the ‘old guys’ to compete. There may be “low hanging” fruit
that the business can use to help establish their “street cred” that the other business don’t like trifling with!