I always first recommend joining a trade union, it’s great money and they’ll be making way more than peers by the time they get out of college and usually not getting a job in the field they studied in unless it’s an incredibly high demand job. Salary ceiling is lower than an advanced degree requiring job, but you get there a lot quicker.

Then I recommend college if they can get it easily. If they can get a degree without going wildly into debt, good. If they can get their masters, even better. If getting a masters, undergraduate school doesn’t matter. But if a bachelor’s degree will do, go to the best place you can afford.

Otherwise, join the service. Really think about what you want to get out of the service. If you want to get job training, look for a job that is similar to what you want to do for a living. Personally, I want to roll around in the dirty and shoot guns and travel the world. So I went combat arms, rolled around in the dirt, shot guns, and traveled the world. But my job had nearly zero relevance to any civilian jobs. But I got out and went to college. And after graduated and bounced around do all sorts of jobs that had nothing to do with my degree. And ultimately, I am working back at my alma mater on the grounds crew taking care of campus. And I love it.

With everything, it’s what you make of it.