We first “met” Sara Bingham back in 2008. She had just taken first place in welding for the Skills USA Championship .  That win netted her a visit to Lincoln Electric and some hands on training.   She then went on to Uintah Basin Applied Technology College and then the Navy where she now works as a Hull Technician stationed in Japan!

You can read all about it here on Vernal Express, “UBATC training catapults woman into Navy career”

It’s so inspiring to see a young woman like Sara succeed, AND to apply those skills in service of her country–  especially the Navy!  As the daughter of a Navy Captain, the  granddaughter of two Admirals, and the great granddaughter of a Navy Lieutenant,  I’ve a special place in my heart for the US Navy…

So way to go!!

And if YOU are a woman welder, or you know one who would be a great feature for our New Rosies column, drop me a line!

Amanda Grinager has been welding for seven years, and currently works in San Diego CA for a yacht company called Marine Group Boat Works. She does structural welding, fabrication and fitting– Anything from tanks to seams, but primarily aluminum MIG/ GMAW welding.

Amanda has been part of the team at MGBW working on a government contract to build three Range Training Support Craft units, the RTSC-110.

These 114-foot US Navy vessels are multi-mission boats with the capability to launch and recover objects such as small high-speed crafts, aerial targets and test weapons. The unique fuel filtration system designed by MGBW to allow the boats to run on 100% biofuel. (you can read about these boats at the company website)

In a lot of ways Amanda really is the new Rosie, working as a welder building boats for our military. She’s proud of the job they’re doing; the boats include a unique fuel filtration system designed by MGBW. “These vessels are the first of their kind, running on bio-diesel fuel and friendly to our environment,” she said.

Amanda was always been mechanically inclined, not to mention inspired by her grandfather who was a machinist for the Union Pacific Railroad.  ”He took pride in the 50 years he was with the railroad….I am honored to be following in his footsteps,” she said.

Palomar Community College in San Marcos, California is where Amanda got her training in welding and metal fabrication, learning the basics:  safety, how to set up a machine, stick welding, MIG welding, TIG welding and flux core, not to mention how certain metals react to heat and how metal changes molecularly.  ”It was like a science class,” she said.

For Amanda, the “future of construction and consciousness of the environment will add many possibilities for skilled trades like welding.”

And these opportunities are available for women.  That’s why Amanda is interested starting up a Rosie’s Girls camp in the San Diego area.  Rosie’s Girls is a summer day camp for girls entering 6th, 7th and 8th grades.  The camp combines hands-on training in skilled trades– like welding, carpentry, automotive technology.  This not only exposes young girls to these non-traditional careers, it gives them confidence and they can engage in activities that examine the messages we receive about the role of women…  and they have a heck of a lot of fun!

Amanda admits to having experienced some discrimination, especially when she first started out. “Early on I found it difficult to find work. Larger companies wanted more experience and smaller companies did not want to risk sexual harassment. I was was discouraged, but continued to build my resume by working anywhere I could on my own time to learn as much as possible.”

And that’s the kind of attitude that Amanda would impart to her younger self:  ”Never give up, be resourceful, and know that you can do it.”  And though its been tough to get past the stereotypes, Amanda adds, “Experience and confidence are key.”

NOTE:  photo credit J. Cramer

Our newest Rosie is Judy Enz of Olympia, Washington where she is a welder and welding instructor with over 30 years of experience, and now proud owner of Arc Masters School of Welding.

While on the surface starting a business in a not-so-welcoming economy may not seem like a good idea, Judy says, “Right now education is at a record high. The schools are packed and there are two-year waiting lists to get into the welding programs.” And so Judy’s school will be there to pick up the slack. “I want everybody who wants to learn to have the opportunity even if it is just enough to build your own BBQ!” she adds.

I conducted the interview over several emails– Judy keeps pretty busy with her new business, including participating on a radio program. The panel discussion, on Women in Non Traditional Jobs, was originally broadcast on July 28, 2010 for the Voices of Diversity on Community Radio KBCS 91.3 FM in Seattle. http://www.kbcs.fm

Decades ago, women were confined to very specific gender roles and occupations. Today, women are seen working in a variety of careers that in the past were completely occupied by men. So, on today’s Voices of Diversity, a status check on gender equality in the workplace. Do women still face barriers to certain professions and challenges when they decide to enter a career field that in the past has shut them out?
Host: Kevin Henry.  [Listen Online]

Here’s what she had to say in response to my questions:

What got you interested in welding?
A private welding school opened in town and friends said I should check it out since I was looking for a career. I put on a welding helmet and never looked back!

(more…)

I recently ran across this awesome summer day camp for girls (too bad there isn’t one for adult women!) ROSIE’S GIRLS is a three week day camp for girls (6th-8th grade).  It a place to learn skills (carpentry, welding, etc) that build confidence.  PLUS they get to use power tools!  This is an awesome way to introduce girls to career options that even today don’t seem accessible to women (did you know that as of 2006 the Department of Labor counts only 6% of professional welders as women?! ***)

FACT: women can weld just as good (and sometimes better) than men. Brains, not brawn makes for an excellent welder… and check out these girls WELDING!

***HOLY SH&%$# ***  I just looked up more recent statistics (from 2008) and the percent of women employed in the welding/ metal industries has GONE DOWN!  WTF?  check it out:

Welding, soldering and brazing…  4.7% women (5.9% in 2006)

Sheet metal workers….  4.8% women (3.1% in 2006)

Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters….  1.5%  (1.9% in 2006)

Tool and die….  1%

Structural Iron / Steel…  0.9%

You can check out these reports and many others about women in nontraditional occupations from the Department of Labor online.

And lets brainstorm!  what can WE do to make these “nontraditional” occupations “traditional?”

Our favorite quote from Shauna’s introduction to her life as a welder would have to be: “I think at the end of the day, if your face and hands are covered in dirt, it’s been a great and productive day.”

We quite agree with you on that!  Read on to find out more about this welder chic!

My name is Shauna Rae Hall and I am currently living in Calgary, Alberta Canada.  I work at a company called NGC Compression Solutions.  I am one of the four certified Journeyman red seal welders working in the fabrication shop at the moment.

My hobbies include camping, dirt biking, exploring nature, photography and of course welding.

I have been welding for about five years now, since I was seventeen.  Back when I was still in high school I had never even imagined that I would be welding for a career.  All throughout school I was taking cosmetology, cutting hair, doing facials… When it came time to graduate and start planning for my future I started looking at industries that had the most demand at the time, which turned out to be welding and construction.

I pretty much talked to my dad about it and got some more information about what welding was like and what it took to become certified in the industry.  I knew right away that I wasn’t interested in an office job.  I wanted to prove myself in the world, and to my father.  So I guess a big part of why I became a welder was for my dad and to make him proud of me.  I decided to take a pre-employment welding course to gain more knowledge in the trade and basically learn how to weld and what was really going on once you strike that arc.

After taking the program it took me quite some time to get a job in a shop  – probably about eight months or so.  I noticed a lot of companies that I applied at weren’t interested in hiring individuals with no experience.  I finally got a break when a family friend found out about a position opening up at the company she was working for.  She gave me a good reference upon arriving with my resume.  That afternoon I received a phone call with a job offer and started work the following Monday.  After a few months I signed up with the Alberta apprenticeship board — this was in late 2005.

For my apprenticeship training I attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in their Polytechnics program.  At work right now, I mostly use Gas Metal Arc welding (GMAW).  We run metal cored 0.45 wire.  We also do some Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) when needed.  I feel more comfortable welding stick and mig obviously.

I love working in a fabrication shop.  I always put my best effort into every project and I really enjoy saying “I built that”.  I think at the end of the day, if your face and hands are covered in dirt, it’s been a great and productive day.  I really enjoy welding Gas Tungsten arc welding (TIG) as well.  I like how clean the weld is and how much hand eye coordination you need to be able to have a good looking product.

For my whole apprenticeship I’ve only worked at two shops — both fabrication shops, just different kinds of production.  For my first job, I built average sized skids for an industrial air conditioning company, mostly using c-shaped channel.  At that shop I was able to weld a lot of different types of metal.  I learned how to weld structural aluminum as well as lighter gauged material.  I also spent a fair amount of time welding stainless steel and aluminum using tig.

At the shop I work at now, we’re building custom natural gas compression units using a lot of heavy W shape beam for the base of the skid.  I really enjoy it because you have to fabricate projects using a lot of personal experience and knowledge.  I am also interested in doing some artistic welding once I can purchase my own welding unit to use at my house.  When I first started out in the industry I did experience a fair amount of discrimination.  I was having quite a hard time finding a job.

I’ve heard a lot of different excuses going from not having proper facilities for women to employers thinking I wouldn’t be able to lift enough weight.  You also grow a pretty tough skin in welding.  A lot of things that guys say can be mistaken; you have to learn how to take criticism as well as eventually give it.  I’ve realized now that companies are looking for knowledgable individuals who know what they’re doing and are great at what they do.

I always enjoyed technical training.  Shop class was my most favourite time in school.  I remember in my second year I had received the highest mark for our practical in flux cored GMAW.  That’s definitely one of my greatest memories…

If I were to give any advice for girls or women looking to get into the trade, I’d have to say first of all that you don’t necessarily have to fall into any stereotype that women have to work in an office or be a nurse…  You can do anything you want — whatever interests you the most, whether it be mechanics, plumbing, construction or welding.  Just remember you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

If you’re interested in working in the industry, no matter what type of industry it is, when you’re applying for a job, come in prepared to work, as if you already got a position in the company. More than likely the employer will think pretty highly of you… I’ve learned this from experience and seeing some people attempting to succeed that unfortunately don’t make it.

Work hard and know your theory.  You should definitely know how to set up your machine properly, replace a spool of wire, and know how to troubleshoot almost any problem that occurs with your drive rolls and wire feed system.  Knowing how to properly fix problems without asking for help shows a lot about your skills, and in the end it’s a lot easier and quicker so that you can get back to your work faster.