Hey Jacob! Welcome to the forum.
I switched trades a couple of years ago and it has been for the best.
Carolina Energy has a nice welding school in Rock Hill, SC. You might want to check it out, only 20 minutes from down town charlotte.
Is the apprentice school in Newport News a union school? Which union? You could also look into a local Technical Colleges.
I went to a Tech School at night and poured and finished concrete by day. It took be almost two years to finish but it was worth it.
Some unions will count your time at a tech school towards your 5 year apprenticeship.( if you can weld) So you wouldn,t start out at the bottom of the pay scale.