If he enjoys welding and doesn't mind traveling and being outside, he can make very good money quickly, with a lot of hours. They are in high demand in several locations. He can take that far in the construction trade or turn it into something else as he gains experience. Almost ever site that has oil/gas jobs will have call for welders and helpers.
I have two brother-in-laws with good work ethic and general factory job experience whose job futures are in doubt.
Good job history can open up more areas. They need to decide if they are willing to work outside in all types of weather if they consider rig work. For some, after a while, it just ins't worth it anymore.
For those that want to work inside, my area of the work is design. Mostly in the office, but people with construction experience will have an advantage of knowledge. I work with many designer that have no college degree but received Computer Aided-Drafting classes, often at night, and turned that into dependable 6 figure salary without moving from Houston.
For single guys, doing the travel and taking a job in an armpit location is a good way to quickly gain some job experience and work recognition. I cannot recommend Yemen like I did to get started, but their are opportunities where people don't shoot at you.
I have a son who has a year left in college to get his degree in geology.
If he wants to travel, and picks up some related petroleum geology classes, he should find this a good time for him. You may not get to see him a lot, but there are lots of opportunity. Groups like this: http://www.aapg.org/ can provide better info than I have.
Where are the best opportunities for them?
Bakken? Eagle Ford? Marcellus?
Marcellus is still just getting started. There is opportunity there but I suspect a lot more will be coming, expecially if Utica is as good as they suspect.
Freeper Smokin Joe would respond to a ping about the Bakken, he has been there for some time.
Eagle Ford is becoming decently established but is still seeing a lot of growth. New pipelines are going in and refineries will be expanded. Already they are adding at some just to handle the additional inland oil coming in.
West Texas is really booming as well. More drilling going on there than any area in the country.
The following is a great mapping interactive tool that lets you see what is current and where. Zoom in and take a look:
http://gis.bakerhughesdirect.com/RigCounts/
Working in a refinery or chemical plant or pipeline station or terminal can be related work, especially for doing maintenance work. That can keep you from traveling so much and tends to work more steady hours. The natural gas growth is having several chemical/plastic plant expansion and some new ones being built. That is more gulf coast but some other opportunities exist and Appalachia is going to see some new plants from this.
Rig Zone lists a lot of upstream jobs onshore and offshore.
Let me know if I can help with any other info.
Thanks,
You are one of FR’s treasures.