I was a union apprentice for my first job. And I screwed myself and took a job making more money at a residential shop I quicly learned that the grass was not greener. I figured it out when I went to get insurance for my wife and newborn son and found out it would cost me 225 a week. I tried desperately to get back to my old job and could not. I also learned that u was not going to get any training and that I hated residential. Since that day i jave been trying to learn myself by asking advice from guys on the net going yo classes and since a few days ago read books for 4 hours a night that came from a kick in the ass from people on this site. If all someone wants is free time than I would say this is a bad trade to be in cuse I know thats one thing I don't have. If you want a job with unlimited growth opertunity than this is the trade to be in. Oh and since i have left the guys that stayed union as an apprentice now make more than me with better bennys and more knowledge and they work on the type of equipment that I would like too. Sometimes when we are young we make mistakes and spend a lifetime making up for them. I am considering now taking a pay cut to become an apprenticr again.