Assuming the cyclic nature of the industry, would a modular course over 3-4 years not be the best option? Hopefully cheaper training deals as reduced demand, and jobs should hopefully be more available in the future... Best of both worlds?
@AlphaMale: I did that about two years ago. My 'Luxury New Build Apartment' is probably worth 20k less than I paid for it! Oh well, you learn from your mistakes.