Boatbuilding Apprenticeships / Schools

[evonhasseln]

Hey everyone, 2nd post!

Having departed from my previous career track about a year and a half ago (fine art / graphic design) to sail on a couple of tall ships, I'm beginning to consider a serious push towards a maritime career. Sailing and marine licensing is one possibility, but another that's always been in the back of my mind is boat building.. a happy medium between my creative roots and my interest in working on or near the water.

I've been eyeing a couple of schools - Great Lakes Boatbuilding in Michigan and IYRS in Rhode Island.. but I'm not keen on going back to school due to costs. Scholarships would be a big help and a good incentive, but what are some other routes? Has anyone ever heard of apprenticeships, or ways to enter boat building jobs without previous experience? Are there any boat builders on the forums here? Is the age of 29 a little too late to make this switch? Are boat building careers as lucrative as these schools make them out to be?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!