Inside the course targeting young tradies with get-rich schemes

"“Only it did not work out how he had hoped.” “I was just kind of like a fish wandering into a shark's mouth.” Triple j hack has been investigating what happens when young people sign up to courses being pushed by influencers that promise to teach them all the skills they need to secure so-called 'location freedom' and financial independence to ultimately 'unplug' from the 'matrix'."

"“There was a year I went to school where I didn't even have a backpack.” By the age of 18, he had become an apprentice carpenter; his dreams were simple yet still felt out of reach. “I've always wanted to retire my mum and provide for my future family,” Billy said. That is when a network of influencers and salesmen began popping up on his social media feeds, telling him there was a quicker, smarter way to get rich."

"A consumer rights advocate said the models being used have parallels to pyramid or multi-level marketing schemes, tailored to explicitly target Australian men in their late teens and 20s. They also warn that complicated company structures used by some of the course providers could leave the young people who spend thousands signing up beyond the protections of Australian law."

"Some insist it is the best decision they have ever made, while others told triple j hack it has left them feeling “trapped”, “brainwashed” and out of pocket. In a cost-of-living crisis and an online world shaped by the manosphere and hustle culture, hundreds are signing up to these online courses. Just a few months of study could set you up to earn big, the videos say."

Influencers and salesmen target Australian tradies and apprentices with promises of quick wealth through short study periods. Courses are marketed as pathways to “location freedom” and financial independence, including the idea of “unplugging” from a “matrix.” In a cost-of-living crisis and an online environment shaped by hustle culture, hundreds sign up. Some participants report positive outcomes, while others describe feeling trapped, brainwashed, and financially harmed. An investigation links these models to pyramid or multi-level marketing patterns aimed at men in their late teens and 20s. Complicated provider structures may also limit access to protections under Australian consumer law.

Read at Abc