POWER MIG^® 140C
POWER MIG^® 180C

Perfect for around the house or
around the shop, POWER MIG®
welders feature Diamond Core
Technology™ and a professional
grade drive roll system.

Precision TIG^® 225

The experts’ choice, with the
widest operating range in its class
and patented Micro-Start™ II
technology.

Ranger^® 10,000 Plus
Kohler^® or
Subaru Robin^®

Perform a variety of AC or DC welding
jobs, with plenty of AC generator
power for lights, tools,
and more. Perfect for construction,
maintenance and the farm.

Ranger^® 225 GXT

All the advantages of the Ranger®
10,000 with an enclosed case!
Perform a variety of AC or DC
welding jobs, with plenty of AC generator
power for lights, tools, and
more. Perfect for construction,
maintenance and the farm.

Check out the Lincoln website for more information about the RULES and REWARDS.

I remember when I was in middle school and I had just been transferred to the 8th grade Algebra I class (I was in 7th grade).  I was so excited, but I remember someone telling me how boys were better than girls at math.  I looked around at all the other students in the class and the ratio of boys to girls was just about equal.  I was confused.  Did being good at math mean that we girls were somehow more masculine?  Did it mean that even though we were in the same class and getting the same grades meant that the boys were somehow still innately better at it than we were?

Hardly.  And yet the stereotype still persists.  There are so many girls out there who are gifted in the math and science areas, but because they are told that “boys are better” than them, they drop out.  They move on.

I know that many women out there have stories like that.  But hopefully, there will be fewer and fewer as the years progress.  One program that is trying to make a difference is Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, as hosted by ExxonMobil.  The goal of this program and others like it is to fill the gender gap and diminish the shortage of qualified workers in this and similar fields:

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day Activities at ExxonMobil Emphasize Importance of Engineering to Nation’s Middle School Girls

Fourteen ExxonMobil Facilities Welcome Middle School Girls as ‘New Hires’

IRVING, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE¹)–More than 3,000 middle school girls will be greeted as “New Hires” in the next week as they visit local ExxonMobil facilities and get a first-hand experience as an engineer. The event, taking place nationwide at ExxonMobil locations, is part of the company’s participation in Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and National Engineers Week.

For the second year, the company also will host the ExxonMobil Girls in Engineering Festival in Houston where middle school girls from three Houston-area school districts will participate in a day-long event on Feb. 14.

Both activities are rewarding to middle school girls as ExxonMobil employees seek to persuade them that engineering is “cool” and opens doors of opportunity to them if they choose it as a career.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

So I applaud all of you who have taken an interest in welding, an undoubtedly “masculine” field.  I encourage you not only to persevere but to encourage any other girls or young women you meet with similar interests to invest in these talents, because in this and all similar fields, we need all the women we can get.

We’ve all been hearing about the projected lack of skilled welders…  In fact, I’ve been talking about it a lot here on this site, and over at JoeWelder.com.  

I recently came across an article over at PlantEngineering.com:

They cite a recent poll from the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show “revealed executives cited the lack of employee skills as a leading obstacle to growth.” And how organizations like FABTECH and Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International are using celebrity spokesmen to tout the opportunites in manufacturing– for skilled workers.

READ “Celebrities help draw attention to skilled worker shortage: he data is there; now it’s supported by folks like Jay Leno and John Ratzenberger”

It sounds like a good idea…  and they’re targetting young people, to get them interested in manufacturing as a career opportunity….

but something struck me as I read more closely.  A quote from Jerry Shankel, president and CEO of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA):

They [manufacturing executives] report their biggest challenge today is finding skilled workers, especially young people, who have the knowledge to handle the increasingly sophisticated tasks required in manufacturing.”

The phrase that caught my eye was “young people.”  What about older, middle aged workers. The ones being laid off, who’s jobs are outsourced to China, Mexico, or any market where labor is cheaper.  I can’t help but wonder if these executives are looking for young people because they work cheaper, they don’t have families to support, mortgage payments, insurance…  all the things that go along with being not so young.

What are your thoughts?