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My co-worker's son paints custom murals in homes. Does a LOT of murals in nurseries, and has doen a few restaurants, too. Something he can do on his own if he's really talented until he gets thru school.
All wonderful advice ! Given his background and abilities, he may make a couple of false starts. Bear with him, if you can. You sound like a great person. In Central Fla, cad operators were not doing so well.
Drafting and CAD are something that is fading as a good source of income. It can be done cheaper somewhere else. If he can fix things and would like to find a solid job, try facilities maintenance. If you have a hospital near by they usually have Plant Operations and Maintenance departments. Several organizations have certification programs that he could complete while working or before he starts working.
Here are a few industry organizations. They also have information on becoming certified.
With a certification or two he may not have to go to school. Still without a certification he could still find a job at a hospital or some other kind of facility.
I don't know much about trade jobs, but when I was reading your description I immediately thought about tattoo artists. My sister just got a tattoo and I'm always really impressed by how beautiful and artistic they can be.
It's too bad about the paid apprenticeship, though. Are you sure there's no other way? What if he applies to work (or maybe even volunteer?) at a good tattoo parlor that he likes doing something unrelated (like receptionist work) just to get a foot in the door, some connections?
In any case, good luck to you all....have you looked into programs like Job Corps or AmeriCorps NCCC? Something that would provide experience for his resume and discipline without needing any previous experience (and might even appreciate the difficult background).
My family recently took in a young adult who turned 18 a month ago and is finishing his senior year of high school. He has been homeless for 5 months. We decided to allow him to live with us because we believe this is the only chance he will have to continue his education and become a productive member of society. He's a nice kid and very personable.
He's not academically gifted, but an amazing artist. He is interested in attending an art school for graphic design, not multi media graphic design, the old fashioned graphic design. I'm worried because I don't think this route will provide him with a living. He's not self motivated so he's very unlikely to be "an artist" who creates art on his own and sells it.
The employment demand for graphic designers is in multimedia graphic design---web design, etc. Unfortunately, I don't see him enjoying computer programs that involve text base design (like pagemaker, adobe, etc. etc. etc.) And I don't see him grasping programming skills needed for game design either.
I hate to discourage a talent but I'm thinking he would be better suited for a trade (pluming, HVAC, electrical) or perhaps drafting.
Does anyone have any ideas that will allow him to earn a modest living that he can support himself.
It's fine that he's not using computers yet in his art! In college you often start with Art 101, which is really really basic stuff. He'll learn the computer programs he needs further in - and believe me, they're not as complicated as some make them sound. The most important aspect is design talent - you can learn the rest! Easily.
As for not being "self motivated so he's very unlikely to be "an artist" who creates art on his own and sells it." - that's probably for the best. It's tremendously hard to go that route - and even if you're successful, it doesn't lead to much money, unless you get super-lucky - about the same odds as becoming a movie star. Working in graphic art, or commercial art, or even for a t-shirt shop, is much much easier to get into - and a lot more profitable.
One final thought... Don't discourage him. There are so many dreamy starving artist stories out there - and the more an adult pushes - the more artistic kids tend to dig their heels in. I remember being that age and swearing to anyone that would listen that I didn't care one bit about making money, I was an artist, and I wasn't going to be limited by their fear. At that age you're judged by your passion, not by how realistic you are - so expect to hear lots of "I don't mind starving" for my art stories!
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Originally Posted by Hopes
And I don't see him grasping programming skills needed for game design either.
Very few artists are good at programming. Very different parts of the brain... Most of the programmers who claim to be good artists are actually really really boring artists. There's just not much overlap between the two!
hi! check out this program....he'll get a stipend, internships with some major companies, and skills training AND UP TO 18 COLLEGE CREDITS after he's finished...its for people interested in IT however i think he should at LEAST try....making $15 an hour just to learn and get a leg up on competition is pretty great ... Year Up: Closing the Opportunity Divide
Nobody hires drafters anymore. Engineers and architects and contractors do their own drawing nowadays.
Illustration and advertising may be fields of study that appeal to him more than graphic design. If he has artistic talent, I think it would a real shame to squash that and push him into a labor trade. And condescending as well--a former homeless kid can't aspire to anything more than physical labor???
And maybe instead of steering the kid to what you 'see him in', you should let him find out for himself. Take him to a career day at a local university so he can see what graphic designers and other people do. Just because you don't think he'd enjoy computer programs doesn't mean he won't be interested or actually be good at it. Lots of people turn out to be good at things they didn't know themselves and other people doubted. It's a shame to squash his dreams for yourself.
Do you absolutely need an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist? I don't know anything about that field, but it would see that you could just build up a client list by word of mouth and have a portfolio of your work to show actual tattoo shops. My cousin is a tattoo artist and I don't think he did anything formal to become one.
Informal is the best route to go. There are a few tatoo schools around the country, but they aren't respected in the tatoo community. They're viewed as scams. An apprentiship with a very talented tatoo artist is the way to go. Most often, they want paid to provide the apprentiship.
His father claims he was making arrangements for him to have an apprentiship last year. I believe it's with a relative so it would be affordable. I'm not sure if that bridge is still available but I plan to call his father and see if he is still willing make the connection for him.
There's lots of hard feelings in this family. The reason the boy was homeless is because his family tossed him into the streets. But the father claims to give a damn so we'll see if he puts his words into action and hooks him up with this tatoo artist.
If all else fails, we can hit the streets and visit tatoo parlors. But his chances at being a highly sought after tatoo artist depends on a solid art education. He needs to show a portfolio to tatoo artists to inspire and encourage them to take him as an apprentice.
My nephew just got his ASE certification and he can make a decent living as an auto mechanic. I have clients that hire diesel mechanics for their trucks and also Mechanic Technicians to work on factory equipment .... they earn about $14+ ph to start ...with full health insurance and all other company benefits; after about 10 years experience, they are making $22-25ph and work 40+ hours per week.... of course in this economy jobs have been scarce... but in 2011 57% of manufacturing companies say they will be hiring so things should be improving.
Here's info in being certified in being an automotive mechanic:
Until last night, auto mechanic was the last thing he wanted to do. One of his family members was a mechanic. He's so mad at his family---he doesn't want to 'be like them.' Then I find out last night that a very UNDESIRABLE person has been talking big dreams of opening a auto repair shop with him. He is very easily manipulated.
I don't have a problem with him pursuing a career as an auto mechanic. I have a BIG problem with him hanging out with this person. He recently got out of prison. I can't tell him who to hang out with but I'm doing my best to influence him in a positive way.
The reality is it's not even likely this person will get this auto shop opened and all of his bullsh*t is just derailing this kid from focusing on what he really wants to do. He's all impressed with this guy, thinks he's cool. He's more interested in hanging out with the excon than he is a career as a mechanic.
But I also recognize that he could do worse things than pursuing an ASE certification. If he actually goes to school for it, it's not like he will be left without a skill when this idiot excon doesnt' open a shop. But I know deep down this isn't truly the career he wants to do.
It sounds like he'd do really well in a print shop and they often hire interns. Some do printed materials like business cards/brochures and others print things like tshirts or promotional items. Some of the jobs are computer-based, but others involve actually operating the presses, which could be fun and interesting for him. See if any nearby community colleges have design/print classes; apart from the training, the classes are often taught by people with local business connections and good real-world experience. If he wants to go to art school, it will also give him a chance to develop a portfolio, references and possibly save money by transferring credits.
Making tshirts is the reason he wants to study graphic design. The program includes silk screening. He has made tshirts in the past but never via silk screening. I'm not sure if print shops still exist outside of the kinkos realm. But studying graphic design won't be a total waste if he can get an apprentiship with a tatoo artist.
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