Independent, private training providers and colleges have recently reported a huge surge in the number of vocational courses being subscribed for in the past few months – with the traditional trades proving the most popular. Applications for plumbing courses, electrician training and decorating have been steadily rising in recent months – suggesting young people are following the old advice of ‘getting a trade’ in the wake of mass unemployment and rising University tuition fees.

The main factor in these rising numbers of vocational course students seems to be the increase in women training or trade qualification – with many course providers now offering specific courses for women in order to accommodate the rise in numbers of women keen to learn a trade and take control of their own careers.

Harlow College’s Colin Hindmarsh said recently that there seems to be a trend amongst young people to take control of their careers now that the safety net of a University degree is no longer an option for many:

“We’re finding that our students are becoming more entrepreneurial, they want to be in charge of their own destiny and these sorts of vocational courses allow them to set up their own businesses… We’ve had a significant increase in the number of women on this kind of course, most noticeably in painting and decorating. At level 2, two thirds of our students are female.”

Vocational courses like electrician training have been seeing a steady growth in popularity over the past few years – tracing back to the start of the current economic downturn in 2007/8. Vocational courses have become an attractive option as they can provide industry-recognised qualifications and a lot of practical experience – meaning a job in the trade is much easier to get once you have qualified. However, it is still not clear why there are more courses for women in courses like electrician train and other ‘male’ trades. » Read more: Vocational Training Increasingly Popular for Women

In this day and age, it has become pretty hard for the average person to meet their bills with just one job. With more and more individuals trying to find part-time work, many people searching for the perfect job may be best served to actually pursue a legitimate second career. Here are a few ideas to find another career that can provide a second income for many years to come.

This may seem a bit crazy, but pet grooming at night can become very lucrative. Doing just two or three pets a night could result in almost $200 per evening of work. Most people pay close to $100 to TAKE their pet to the groomers. Providing a mobile service will make it more convenient and even get the cat or dog out of the house for 30-45 minutes so the owners can do some cleaning.

Another great second career for someone looking to make easy money is a dog walker. The last thing anyone wants to have to worry about when they get home from a hard day at the office is taking the pet out for an hour walk. Get a few clients in the neighborhood and charge them each $5 per day for the walk and it could easily equate to over $500 a month for walking pets!

If pets are not your thing, then why not try grooming people. Beauticians are making more money than ever these days, especially those that deal in massage and nail artwork. Going mobile makes it easier on the client and offers the person in business a very lucrative income with very little effort. Masseuses make about $90 an hour when they are self-employed, so do the math! One appointment every night is the car payment, insurance, and mortgage or rent money for the month!

The one thing to consider if choosing different fields as a beautician is that beauty school will be needed in order to have your own business. However, institutes around the country offer very flexible schedules that will allow anyone to squeeze in the classes when they can. Furthermore, most legitimate beauty school attendees are also eligible for student aid. Play your cards right and the education will cost very little. » Read more: Choosing a Second Career