Out here the competition is fierce. Like the guys said above, the good shops don't want to teach someone from the start, they want experience and skill. They don't pay well and the hours are very long.
To better illustrate this, one of the local custom places I visited a few years ago with a friend of the owner, had guys from England working the english wheel, people from New Zealand also fabricating, A guy from the east coast doing interior work, and a few others I can't remember from around the world.
Mind you these guys work on a car for a year, have others in the wings for multiple years, and have car owners lined up to pay 250k plus... for their hot rod.
I guess it all depends on what level you want to work at. The lady who worked at the eye glasses shop locally, has a husband who works his own shop building rods, but keeps the overhead low by doing everything himself!
I think the potential for jobs is available, just need to be in the right place at the right time. Have you searched your area? Chatting up the locals is always a good place to start, and it doesn't hurt to drive up in a nice project you've done the work on, or have a few pictures handy. You never know, that shop may have a flake that they want to get rid of, just waitng for the chance to replace them with someone like you!