Te-Ping Chen and Lauren Weber:
Today’s paths to the middle class don’t just run through college or traditional manufacturing work. The Americans who make it are open to change, persistent and jump at unconventional opportunities. Many find openings in hands-on fields such as healthcare, and they lean on short-term credential programs as steppingstones to new careers.
She was determined to keep her grades up and took community-college classes in high school. To pay the bills at Eastern Michigan University, she worked two jobs, at the cafeteria and as student supervisor.
“My fear of instability pushed me more toward working,” Runels said.
In 2017, her junior year, she dropped out after a surprise pregnancy. She started a cleaning business during the pandemic, toddler in tow, but made only around $1,000 a month.
In 2022, a cleaning client who was an executive at a local Goodwill told her about its job programs. One involved making outdoor furniture from wooden pallets. Her instructors there referred her to another program: welding.