I'm in my 30s and have worked in IT for a few years, earn just below 30k. I like the problem solving aspect of the job but I hate looking at a screen all day. I've also lost interest in technology and really, really don't want to look at a computer screen outside of work, but IT requires a load of self-study and practice to get ahead into the higher-paying jobs.
I think people who are really into technology would enjoy the fast-moving/always changing nature of the IT sector, but if that passion isn't there, it makes it not worth it: other skilled trades pay just as much, and I don't hear of people in those jobs needing to homelab, study for certs, or stay current.
I've given the IT thing a few years but I'm fairly miserable. I don't think I have the interest to really get ahead in this job and the work doesn't feel healthy for me.
I want to move into something that still involves problem solving and technical skill, but ideally something that doesn't have me glued to a screen and isn't in a sector that's constantly changing.
The only problem is, as far as I know, people tend to get into trades either through an apprenticeship or a two year full-time college course: in other words, getting paid a pittance for a few years while living at home, or getting no pay at all.
Are there any fast-track routes into trades that don't require going below the poverty line for at least a couple of years? I'd be prepared to pay for a couple-month intensive course of some kind if it's not a scam (something similar to a coding bootcamp but for other industries.