Yes, and it took me 20 years to do it. I took my GED in my twenties, went to college in my thirties and was ready to enter the “good” job market in my 40’s.

Of course lots of people think 40’s are too old to be a supermodel; no only kidding about that.

But I have taught school and love to mentor teens on the fringe of dropping out!!

It is a hard path to choose. I left school after year 10, and studied for cert 111 in general education for adults (equivalent to year 11) and it was really easy – since then I have had two good jobs, the first was a traineeship in business administration, crappy pay throughout traineeship but a great boss and great place to work plus the pay rise at the end of training was well worth it. I am now a sales manager, and the pay is nothing to put your nose up at. It has been a tough trot to get here but I am happy. I first dropped out of school at 15, and moved out of home. I am now 19 almost 20 and am amazed how far I have already come.

I have had my share of crappy hospitality and cleaning jobs, also crappy accomodation and housemates. But I now live comfortably in a house I share with my brother, my cat and my dog and soon my baby (I’m 9 wks preggo)

Everyone is different, for some this is the path in life that works for others it is the start of there decent.

If school really is not working try getting your grandson to find an apprentiship or traineeship before he leaves school, then he will not only be furthering his education but also his work experience and at the end of four years he will have a great earning potential.

He has to understand if he doesnt want to go to school he has to work

yes you can still go to college and if you do dropout you need a plan on what you can do with a ged and a 2 year college. but if you dropout and go for no further education then your screwed. Teachers and the school system tell you your never going to amount to anything in hope that you stay in school and because most people who dropout just try to find a job and go for no ged and really do amount to nothing. staying in high school is the best thing to do because it ensures that you can have a better verity of job choices. so if you do dropout don’t be scared of what people are saying for EX. (your going to be flipping burgers).

honestly being on both sides of the fence…. ! encourage and stress on the importance of an education the best you can. These days kids need a college education to make it and live comfortably on their own.

Education is the key.. Businesses are going to hire the most qualified before looking at someone with no education, no skills or even a high school diploma.. Now is the time to do it, not put it off to later in life.. I’ve done both.. I quit in 10th grade but got into a private college and earn a certificate by the time my class graduated.. Then as an young adult went back to college for degree and in the work field.. My income dramatically increased after… Just because of the piece of paper…

Do the best you can is all you can do for him.. Lay the ground work and guide them in the right direction and hope for the best..

but then again there always the armed serves which will give some disciplines as well as pay for their education as well as the benefit of traveling the world…..

Good Luck!

PS I have a neighbor whose in her 20’s and makes $26 per hour on the phone for Verizon! compared to another I know whose a secretary and makes $12 with a diploma only

He is the only one who can get what he wants out of life

Hard work and perseverance!

From my personal experience, and the experience of my family, the more education, the better (and sometimes easier) the job gets.

High school drop outs will rarely find good work with decent pay.

High school graduates usually still have to work hard, but have many more opportunities than those with no diploma. Most reputable companies will not hire someone with no high school diploma.

Associate degrees are good for those that want to specialize in something, and make it much easier to obtain a job in a specialized field, but doesn’t guarantee an “easy” job.

Bachelor degrees open an enormous amount of doors for opportunity and wealth.

Professional degrees (Master or PhD) make your future nearly limitless.

I personally have only a high school diploma, and have been very fortunate in my career. I have worked very hard and have nearly tripled my income in the past 7 years. I now make 80k, which is rare for someone without a college degree. I never would have had even the opportunity to make this kind of money had I not had a high school diploma.

Someone without a high school diploma now days is practically guaranteed to live in poverty, and/or living “off” of someone for most of their lives.

Few high school dropouts in these times are able to get good jobs but some have done exceptionally well, especially in the construction field and as entrepreneurs.

I am glad your grandson is in a continuation program and hope he chooses to continue. I hope the emphasis in this school is on encouragement and how to find an entry level job that could lead to promotions for someone without academic credentials.

This site (Dropouts Do Get Jobs) has some success stories:

http://www.dropoutscansucceed.com/

This site presents the gloomier side of the picture.

High school dropouts are about three times more likely than college graduates to be unemployed. They are about twice as likely as high school graduates to live in poverty. They are eight times more likely to go to prison than someone with a high school diploma. They are much more likely than high school graduates to get divorced and to be single parents of children who also drop out from high school. They even get sick a lot more often than people who have diplomas!

http://www3.ccps.virginia.edu/career_prospects/Trends/dropouts/dropouts-students.html

The decisions your grandson makes now are really vital and will affect him for the rest of his life.

s

It’s a hard road, while I did go to college I have family who didn’t. What I’ve learned from them is that the road traveled without a HS diploma or GED is more difficult and money is more difficult to come by, however it can be done….although not recommended. Sales and working at a restaurant or bar as a server or bartender are about the only jobs without a GED or HS diploma, that they’ll be able to make any money at. My siblings ended up going back later in life to get their GED & take some college courses to earn their degree, and now make 2x the amount they did before. Tell him to Be Cool and Stay in School.

Actually, students are sent to continuation schools because they don’t care about their education,or are behind because of bad behavior. I’m currently attending high school and have no plans of dropping out. I don’t want to flip hamburger patties at McDonald’s. Oh wait you must have a high school diploma to work there. xD I assume the only “good job” an high school drop out would find is working as a day laborer.

Does he have the option to enter a vocational program if he’s interested in some kind of program they offer? The city in my area has a vocational center where students from 22 different high schools go to for half the day. It’s free to the student; those who live out of district have their tuition paid for by their home district. The center has programs like construction, culinary arts, mechanics, cosmetology, firefighting, CNA, and MANY others. It might help him if he’s interested in something, and he’ll have training needed to get a job. One of my hairdressers took advantage of cosmetology training and she got a job right out of high school.

Do whatever you can to encourage him. He’ll have a better chance of getting a job with a high school diploma (even more if he has some kind of trade or associate’s degree).

Education is important but it isn’t necessarily the only way to a successful & worthwhile career ….

People develop at different rates & unfortunately our education system assumes that EVERYONE needs to be academically focussed in order to succeed .

That isn’t so & I know many , including within my own family , who were not able to connect the dots at high school but have gone on to be a darn sight more successfull & productive than the narrow minded , biased teachers who all but destroyed their spirits at school !

If your grandson has something he dearly wants to do , passion & ability my advice would be don’t waste time but get out & give it a go ! If he just wants to quit but has no plan or prospects that is a different story.

yeah I’m a high school drop out , and went to continuation school. but that’s because my mom was a single parent and she needed help to pay the bills. I worked at a classy Italian restaurant since i was 14 , i was busboy , then salad boy and cook , now I am assistant manager and waiter , at 19. I make about 20 dollars an hour with tip. so I make about $250 -350 a night for about 4-5 hours work. depending on how slow the days are. I make more money as a 19 year old than allot of grown as* 30 year olds with bachelors make. dont blame the government for your kids academic problems , I admit I didn’t learn because I didn’t want to learn and be in school. my teachers where fantastic and plenty of opportunities where given to me to pull myself back up. I just didn’t want too. I blame no one but myself ,and have no regrets because I am making so much money and supporting my family at the age of 19.