Though women constitute between 5% and 6% of the welding industry workforce, an increasing number of young women are pursuing training for the industry at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center.
Seniors Julianne Brizzell and Trista Smi are among approximately 10 students enrolled in the program this year—a number that is about double what the program had just a few years ago.
“My dad taught me welding a year or so ago and I just fell in love with it,” said Brizzell, who attends the program on the Albany CTE Campus from Colonie High School.
For Smi, the knowledge required for welding and constant action is what fuels her interests in the career.
“I like that welding requires a lot of knowledge but you still get to work with your hands,” the Berne-Knox-Westerlo teenager said.
“I enjoy the work and I don’t see [being a woman] as an issue,” she added.
Both of the students
Of course, knowing how to weld can provide students with great career options.
The American Welding Society forecasts a need for 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028.
Local woman welder Tori Rodriguez often shares her expertise with Capital Region BOCES students.
“Being in the trades, there is a stability that you can’t find in other industries. These aren’t jobs that a robot cannot do,” said Rodriguez, who is an entrepreneur and an Account Executive for Haun Welding Supply.
The Welding and Metal Fabrication program prepares students with the skills they need to either directly enter the workforce or expand their skills in a college or trade school. During the two-year program that is taught on the Albany and Schoharie campuses, students learn American Welding Society standards and earn certifications that prepare them for a career in the welding industry.