Many Universities can help you to get SEO qualifications. It is a legitimate industry and there is a shortage of skills in this area. If you are qualified in SEO, then you can not only apply for (and win) high-paying SEO jobs, but you could choose to start your own SEO consultancy, or simply use your SEO skills to earn yourself a full-time income without the need for clients at all.
Put simply: If you are fairly passtable at SEO you can make a full-time income from those skills by choosing a product to promote online and simply writing articles, driving traffic towards your chosen products. This is called affiliate marketing and uses a blend of good copywriting skills with SEO skills. If you are GOOD at SEO then his is an area you can really earn a high income from.
SEO is a growth industry, an inustry with a future - and a skill that enables you to be self-sufficient and not to have to rely on a "proper job" with an employer at all!
