This is the first installment in a multi-part series about the rising cost of college and alternatives to academia.

Nikkia Evan’s hand, covered with a sterile, black glove, stays steady. The tattoo machine she holds vibrates, humming loud enough to hear from across the parlor. Her hand, however, is still as stone.

She dips the needle into a tiny skull-shaped cup of black ink, picking up color on the tip of her personalized, dalmatian-spotted tattooing tool. With a small, steady movement, Evans has permanently changed her client’s skin.

And she’s only an apprentice.

The cost of college has skyrocketed in recent history, with tuition for in-state students at the University of Iowa increasing by over $1,500 in the past 10 years alone. These growing fees combined with increased demand for skilled trades have led to more young people turning to apprenticeship programs instead of college after high school.

Such was the case for Evans.

After graduating from high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the spring of 2021, Evans gave college a try. She first enrolled at Iowa State University to study animal sciences but eventually left and moved back home.

She then tried taking some classes at Kirkwood Community College in her hometown, but that didn’t stick, either.

“It didn’t really fit with me,” Evans said.

Evans took a full-time job at Collins Aerospace, a Cedar Rapids-based company in the aviation industry. Evans described the work as continuous, repetitive, and draining; it wasn’t for her.

“My entire life, art has been the only thing I ever could just sit for hours and focus on,” she said.

That passion has since translated into her new prospective career. With her dad acting as her mentor, Evans is working toward becoming a tattoo artist. Evans’ digital tablet is now full of various designs and patterns she has drawn, some for clients and some for herself.

Evans’ nails, decorated with tiny mushrooms on each finger, make a tapping sound as she zooms in on her latest sketch for a walk-in — a disposable vape. She’s talking to her client, explaining how the lettering can’t be too small, or the tattoo won’t last. She pulls up her black sweater to reveal a tattoo on her arm where the linework in a flower is starting to bleed together.

She leaves the choice up to her client, who ultimately took her advice. Evans prepares the larger stencil, curly hair tied back to ensure her vision is unobscured as she prepares to tattoo the client.

“It’s going to be on someone else’s body forever,” Evans said while holding up prints of two different versions of the sketch, comparing them on her client’s leg. “So, you have to do what they actually want.”

Increased interest in the trades

Evans’ choice to pursue an apprenticeship instead of a traditional four-year degree is unique, but she is part of a growing community. According to data from the state of Iowa, there are 10,289 active apprentices in Iowa as of 2023. That number is up from just 8,844 active apprentices in 2022 — around a 16 percent increase.

The number of training programs available is also increasing. In 2023, there were 169 active programs added in Iowa, bringing the total number in the state to just under 1,000.

Jenny Foster, the executive academic dean for manufacturing, engineering, trades and transportation at the Des Moines Area Community College, said the conversations surrounding the trades have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rather than parents and high school students coming to Foster’s office needing to be convinced that a four-year institution isn’t the only path, families are bringing up these alternatives on their own. Now, Foster gets to share the multitude of options that exist for students to potentially pursue.

“There was a realization about how necessary all the trades were, and that all of these opportunities were just out there for folks,” Foster said.

Foster also said among young people, there is more recognition that trades offer high-paying jobs and long-term stability. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for tattoo artists in Iowa City is $52 per hour.

The selection of trade programs at the Des Moines Area Community College provides a direct pipeline to apprenticeship programs. The main difference between directly becoming an apprentice and enrolling in a community college program is the freedom to explore different options and the allocated room for error.

“Students can fail here and make mistakes,” Foster said. “That’s kind of what we’re here for.”

Apprenticeship curriculums

In Iowa, the only certification requirements are the completion of bloodborne pathogen and first-aid training, and tattooing must take place in a licensed establishment. These limited parameters mean apprenticeship programs can look entirely different depending on the shop in question.

RELATED: Iowa trade worker registration increases, UI seeks students for pre-apprenticeship

An apprenticeship doesn’t necessarily mean college is out of the question, either. Rachel Chen is currently balancing work as a full-time student at the University of Iowa majoring in psychology and art while running her own tattoo business.

Chen described her apprenticeship as “non-traditional,” with her mentor living in Des Moines while Chen was stationed in Iowa City. Chen would send over images of her art, and her mentor would send instructional videos.

The original plan was for Chen to work at her mentor’s shop after completing her apprenticeship. However, when long-term academic goals kept Chen in Iowa City, she decided to open up her own independent shop.

While the money is not always stable — some weeks, she’ll make up to $600 while others her income is closer to $60 — Chen said her work helps pay for school.

Evans’ apprenticeship program was done directly through the tattoo parlor she currently works at, Neon Dragon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her tattoo station is tucked away in the corner of the shop, neat and orderly while full of her personality.

Printed designs from Evans’ previous clients litter the wall in her workspace. Tarot cards, fairies, flowers, and winged animals are but a few of the many designs taking up a good portion of the wall.

Evans is apprenticing under her dad, Jason Evans, who opened up Neon Dragon back in 2005. She said the program through the shop requires a test for any artist to be accepted as an apprentice and has a set curriculum the accepted applicants follow. Evans took the test last June and started on her path from there.

From learning the booking process to tearing paper towels for other artists, the beginning of the apprenticeship is predominately helping other artists in the space. Evans and the other apprentices also had to write essays on the logistics of tattooing and complete various drawing assignments.

“You’re there to do things for other people, make the jobs easier and learn from them,” Evans said.

She eventually progressed to tattooing on grapefruit for about two months and graduated to doing her first tattoo on her own skin in January.

Now, Evans has a steady flow of clients and tends to be booked out several weeks in advance.

“I think it kind of fits pretty perfectly for me,” Evans said. “And I’m booked up for the month, so I mean, obviously it’s working out.”