For me it was getting a CDL. I went through Swift Transportation to get mine, though most trucking companies either have a trucking school or have tuition reimbursement. Back in 2008, it cost me $800 upfront (going to the state for testing and licensing) plus 2 years working for Swift.
Pay was shit starting out, but at this point in my career I’m making $60,000 a year. I could be making more, but I shifted to running a yard truck instead of running routes.
If you’re not having any luck getting into the trades, that is the direction I would look. Swift literally hired me 30 minutes after I put in the application, in the middle of the night. The trucking industry as a whole tends to be really fast to hire as well. The longest I’ve had to wait to hear back from a company I’ve applied to was 72 hours.
Other options would be to check with local construction companies and farms. Both are probably really hurting for people right now due to ICE. Might also check with HVAC, plumbing and electrician outfits. I know that Alabama, in particular, has been short handed in each of these fields for a while, so they may be willing to train on the job.
Contact the companies themselves, not the unions associated with their fields as the only union I’m aware of that handles job placement as well as training is the Boilermakers. I’ve applied to them once, didn’t hear anything back from the Boilermakers for 3 years. They is a bit slow.
edit: fixing a typo
My understanding is that there is a law on the books that prevents government agencies from accepting donations.