This has nothing at all to do with welding… but I gotta say I love that PINK is dressed up as Rosie the Riveter throughout this video…. and “why so serious” anyway?

Hey. if you’re in Atlanta, check out the folks from Miller

and check THIS out, fabulous opportunity for someone to win some serious scholarship money:

This story caught my eye because of the location–  near and around Norfolk, Virginia which is where my family is from– Sedley (home of HUBS Peanuts!) to be precise: I still have some shirttail cousins around those parts, and much of the brickwork, including some at the HUBS peanuts factory, was done by my relatives.

I remember this mill in Franklin. I remember most the smell, and when I commented on it (if you’ve never smelled a paper mill think rotting cabbage) my cousin Curtis said, “It smells like money to me!”  The mill was where all the good jobs were in the area. 1,100 of them to be exact.

Anyway, this article is inspiring and a testament to the can-do nature of the folks in that area “Failure is not an option.”

ISLE OF WIGHT – At 59, Wallace Lewis assumed he was finished with school.

After 32 years operating a computerized band saw at International Paper Co.’s lumber mill, the Suffolk man figured he would retire in a few years. Then reality hit.

International Paper threw a kink into Lewis’s plans by shuttering its lumber mill in May 2009, forcing him into an early retirement and idling 1,100 workers. He was too young to tap his Social Security benefits, was struggling to pay his family’s mortgage and bills, and had too much empty time on his hands.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE–>

So from mill worker– some with 25 years or more experience– to electrician, plumbing and HVAC certification, and yes, WELDER! it is possible to teach “old” dogs new tricks.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the AWS New Mexico chapter meeting, which was held at the Central New Mexico Community College (CNM).

In addition to the hamburgers and hot dogs cooked up by the college’s student chapter of AWS, another big draw of the evening was the Blacksmithing demo by Robert Ulibarri (pictured, right) from CNM’s welding technology program.  He  also serves as the faculty advisor for the CNM Student chapter of the AWS and I’ll be doing a profile and tour of their welding program soon.  On video.

I had big plans to video tape the demo, but alas my batteries failed.  And I had neglected to bring extras.  So instead of a demo of red hot glowing iron, Robert hammering out some horse shoes, sparks flying …  all I got was 13 seconds of intro and this screen capture.

I met several of the AWS members, representing Los Alamos National Labs, Sandia National Labs and Matheson Gas to name a few.

I also learned about the scholarship opportunities that the American Welding Society offers–  on many levels– from local district  scholarships to international  scholarships. It’s clear the AWS is committed to offering opportunities to students worldwide!

New this year is the opportunity to apply scholarship funds to two-year programs.   NOTE:  Applications are due March 1 for district scholarships.  In addition to filling out the application, you’ll need to get together your transcripts, a financial aid statement, and write a Personal Statement outlining your educational and career objectives. Other AWS sponsored scholarships may have additional requirements such as letters of recommendations, so plan ahead!

Also new this year for the Albuquerque section is a scholarship funded by Matheson!

So if you’re interested in a career in welding, you may want to check out the opportunities offered through your own local American Welding Society Chapter, and maybe even score a scholarship.

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!

Read the rest of this entry »

Check out this brief video of welding student Kourtney Wills at the SkillsUSA competition:

You probably know by now that Arc-Zone.com has done some videos. My favorite is the Welcome To Arc-Zone video… we had a lot of fun with that one:

You can watch these on YouTube, or we have our very own Arc-Zone TV channel.

Well, we’re gearing up to do another round and have a lot of ideas for How Tos, but we’d like to hear from you! Take the poll, and / or add your ideas in the comment section of this post!

A special shout out to Becky at Lincoln Electric for sending me this link…  she knows this is an area of special interest to me (as do all of you who read this website on a regular basis).  I’ve been doing a bit of research myself lately and was disheartened to learn that according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics the percentage of women working in the welding industry has actually declined– it is now LOWER than the 6% I’ve been quoting.

Anyway, check out this program geared towards getting women interested in careers in the male dominated trades– like welding!  and let me know if your workplace or school has a special outreach program. I’d love to share your stories!

Ladies Night entices female students to male-heavy careers

by Neal Morton, The Monitor

McALLEN — Elizabeth Robertson understands why manufacturing, welding or plumbing don’t exactly sound like expected career choices for women.

“Usually they’re pushed to teaching or nursing,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s typical to think of men going out and working their tools.”

A mechanical engineering student, though, Robertson embodied the evolving gender makeup of technology jobs when she attended South Texas College’s Ladies Night on Wednesday.

CONTINUE READING AT THE MONITOR–>