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UTI Grad Shares What It’s Like to Be a Woman in Welding
UTI grad Stephanie Morales shares what it's like to be a female welder. Read more about her experiences here!
Being one of few women in the classroom is common for female students studying the skilled trades – including welding.
However, although the welding profession has historically been male dominated, there are plenty of women in welding paving the way for their counterparts.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 5.8% of welding, soldering and brazing workers were women in 2023. The welding industry is also in demand — total welder employment in the United States is expected to exceed 437,000 by 2032.50
There are plenty of opportunities for women in welding. Keep reading to find out about some of the history of female welders in the United States, and to hear about working as a woman in welding from a welding graduate from Universal Technical Institute (UTI)!1
Key Summary Points
- Female representation in the welding industry is low, with only 5.8% of workers being women in 2023.
- The history of female welders dates to World War II, when women filled open positions in the workforce.
- There are a number of opportunities for women in welding, with total employment expected to exceed 437,000 jobs by 2032.50
- Emily Woosley, a female graduate of the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Welding Technology program, shares her experience and success in the field.
- UTI offers a welding program that prepares students, including women, for careers in welding.
Is Welding a Good Career for a Woman?
Considering the diverse opportunities available today, welding can be a good career for many women. Welding offers a variety of specializations, from industrial manufacturing to artistic metalworking, allowing for a range of career paths that can suit individual interests and skills.
Technical training programs for welding also make it easier for women to gain industry-aligned skills. These programs also usually offer support services, providing assistance in housing, employment and financial aid so students receive the support necessary to start training and pursue a career after graduation.
Moreover, women in welding often serve as role models and trailblazers, inspiring other career-seeking women to consider working in this trade. Their success not only challenges outdated gender norms, but also demonstrates that competence and passion are the true keys to a hands-on career in welding.
History of Women in Welding
During World War II, a workforce revolution took place in the U.S. When men went to war, there were a lot of open positions that women stepped up to fill. They moved from more domestic work to enter the workforce — most notably, the skilled trades.
The workforce saw an increase in women across all industries. By 1943, they made up 65% of the labor force! This growth was spearheaded by the advertising campaign featuring “Rosie the Riveter.” It became one of the most iconic images of women working during the war.
While women were working across a range of trade industries, opportunities opened for them to weld. They handled many responsibilities and jobs in steel factories. An issue of Life magazine from 1943 even featured an image of a female welder on its cover.
In the welding industry, women helped build ships, equipment, aircraft and weapons needed by the troops. They worked hard to ensure parts and supplies were properly manufactured.
Women mostly returned to traditional roles once men returned home from war, but the movement shifted attitudes about working women and their impact on society. The strong women who entered the workforce during WWII helped pave a new path!
5 Reasons To Become a Welder as a Woman
The welding industry offers a range of opportunities, especially for women looking to build a dynamic and rewarding career. Here are five compelling reasons why becoming a welder could be an excellent choice for women.
1. Demand and range of industries
Welding is a skilled trade that is in demand across various industries, including automotive, construction and aerospace. As a welder, you can pursue job opportunities in many of these industries. With ongoing advancements in technology and infrastructure, the need for skilled welders likely won’t go away any time soon.
2. Salary outlook and potential benefits
Full-time welders may have access to comprehensive benefits packages, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid leave. The specific benefits offered will vary by employer. As you gain experience and specialize in certain types of welding, you can pursue more advanced roles.
3. Potential skill advantage
Women can bring unique advantages to welding, such as attention to detail and fine motor skills, which are crucial for precision work. These traits, combined with hands-on experience, can help produce high-quality welds, and experienced welders may earn recognition, advancement or specialized job roles.
4. Opportunities for creativity and innovation
Welding is not just about joining metals. It also involves creativity and problem-solving. As a welder, you can work on diverse projects, from artistic installations to complex engineering tasks, allowing you to express your creativity and contribute innovative solutions to real-world challenges.
5. Empowerment and breaking stereotypes
Entering the welding profession allows women to break traditional gender stereotypes and pave the way for future generations. It shows that women are just as capable and skilled in trades that have been historically male dominated. By choosing a career in welding, you can inspire and empower other women to pursue their interests and passions in skilled trades.
Pros and Cons of Welding as a Career
Pros
Welding as a career can offer advantages that appeal to women looking for a hands-on profession with opportunities for exciting challenges that require innovative, creative problem-solving. Welders are essential in various industries, providing them with diverse job opportunities. Here are some of the top advantages of welding as a career:
- Demand for skilled welders: Skilled welders are in demand across multiple sectors, such as construction, manufacturing and automotive.
- Job variety: Welding professionals can work on an array of projects, ranging from small-scale repairs to large-scale constructions, adding variety to their work life.
- Opportunities for advancement: With experience and further education, welders can advance to higher-level roles like welding inspectors or project managers.77
- Travel opportunities: Many welding jobs require travel, offering the chance to work in different locations and experience various working environments.
Cons
Working as a welder also can come with its own set of challenges and drawbacks. These disadvantages may include:
- Physical strain and hazards: Welding requires long hours of standing, bending and lifting, which can lead to physical strain and injuries over time.
- Exposure to hazardous materials: Welders are often exposed to fumes, gases and intense heat, which can pose health risks if proper safety procedures are not followed.
- Irregular work hours: Depending on the job and deadlines, welders may have to work nights, weekends or extended hours, impacting work-life balance.
However, many welders enjoy the physicality and lack of monotony required by working in the industry. And with the right training, you can minimize injuries in the workplace.
Emily Woosley: Working Hard to Pursue a Passion
Since WWII, women have continued to show their capabilities in all kinds of roles, and there are many opportunities for women who weld right now — like UTI Welding grad Emily Woosley, who shares how her experience went.
As the second of four daughters, Emily Woosley (or Em Wooz, for short) describes herself as always being an inquisitive, rebellious tomboy. It was a combination of these personality traits and life events that led her to enroll in the welding program at UTI.
Em gave birth to her son, Adonis, while in high school — an experience she says helped “shape and create [her] life.” True to her hardworking nature, she transferred to an accelerated high school and earned her diploma a year ahead of her graduating class.
She earned her license in massage therapy a year later, but decided it wasn’t the path for her. She worked in various retail and customer service jobs to help pay student loans and purchase a house in Phoenix, Arizona.
It wasn’t until she married her best friend, Chris, in 2017 and moved to Avondale, Arizona, that Em was able to think about going back to school to pursue a passion.
She says the support and encouragement she received from Chris helped her through the process, along with her son starting high school. “I felt confident to take the leap,” she says about enrolling at UTI, which she did during the week of Thanksgiving in 2019.
Always inspired
Em says she has always been around talented, passionate people who inspired her to build a thorough understanding of something, while simultaneously “deeply respecting that there is always more to learn or improve on.”
“I remember being little and loving the ‘fireworks’ in the shop and watching home projects unfold and transform right in from of me,” Em says. “I wanted to be a part of it. I loved getting my hands dirty with my families and partner on projects or restore/remodels, etc.”
After moving to Avondale, Em continued researching different welding options and discovered that a UTI campus was right down the street. “Your marketing is on point, and my tour of the campus was really fun,” she adds.
Handling the unexpected
Like many other students that enrolled in Universal Technical Institute in 2020, Em faced several challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After restrictions were put into place, UTI made many changes to the way they operate to accommodate no-contact requirements.
But before these restrictions were put into place, UTI was able to offer what she enjoyed and expected. A highlight was making lifelong friends from her training group, who Em says “were the unapologetic personalities, making jokes in the back of class and looking out for each other.”
She says she “loves and appreciates the connections and networking” that she was able to have from her time at UTI, despite all the changes that needed to be made amid COVID-19.
A lot of individual training, attention and demonstrations were paused as classwork transitioned online, which was an adjustment for kinesthetic (hands-on) learners like herself.
“We pushed through — as the resilience of passionate people will attest to — time and time again,” Em says.
Entering the workforce
Em graduated from UTI in September 2020 and briefly worked as shop help, operating cranes and forklifts at a structural steel company in El Mirage, Arizona.
“It was good exposure to the shop aspect, but I wanted to weld, and I missed it so much. When I started looking, I wanted a different atmosphere,” she says.
She eventually went to work for All Things Metal in Phoenix, a job she says she “loved immediately.”
The environment was different, but her transition into the workplace went smoothly.
What a day as a welder looks like
“A really cool part of the team there is that not only do we fabricate and make the pieces needed, but we erect and install everything as well,” Em says. “I love that we get to see everything through from start to finish.”
A typical day has Em waking up early and seeing the sunrise, then getting to work!
One of her favorite things about welding is the ability to work on new things every day. “Whether it’s welding stairs, leveling rails, erecting beams, fabricating — you’re a part of something bigger and literally watch it transform. You learn and improve consistently,” she says.
At the end of the day, Em says she rolls up her equipment feeling good about what she “put her name on,” and that she always has something to take away for next time.
As far as balancing work and life as a mom, she says she figured out what worked for her while passing on night shifts.
“I’m able to have a work-life balance with a consistent schedule and early hours,” Em says.
Words of advice
Em is a great example of what hard work and dedication can accomplish, and what pursuing a passion looks like.
Given that the industry is predominantly male, it’s important that women feel just as encouraged as men are to pursue a career in welding.
When asked about the challenges she faced as a woman in the industry, Em responds, “You are going to be underestimated. You are going to be judged. You are going to hear opinions you don’t agree with — none of these things have anything to do with you. That is other people’s insecurities being projected your way.”
Em offers great advice to give women who are thinking about following the same career path as her. “To be successful means you will be doubted and tested - just keep going,” she says.
“Remember that someone who will have your back is not hard to find. Also, be one of those people. And be loud about what’s important,” Em continues.
These are just a few great reminders from a UTI grad making her way in the welding industry.
Future welding career goals
Em would love to own her own land and build on the property with her family, expanding on their hobbies and skill with woodwork and metalwork.
She shares, “I’d be in paradise to do custom projects eventually. … [I] definitely want to get into more creative design and art.”
With the skills she learned at UTI, Em has been able to secure a job she enjoys and is on the path to fulfilling more of her goals in the future.6
Opportunities for Women in Welding
Em’s story is just one example of how welding can be a great way to go for women looking for a new career path.
Employers are currently looking for skilled welders who have the hands-on training experience needed to work in a range of environments. Women in welding can work in a number of industries that include:
- Manufacturing
- Automotive and transportation
- Shipbuilding
- Construction and infrastructure
- Pipe welding
Since there are so few female welders, training and working on the job can be an opportunity to form bonds with other women in the field. Pursuing a career in welding also can give you the chance to help encourage other women to join the industry and show how it’s done.
A training program like UTI’s Welding Technology program can help teach women the skills needed to pursue the workforce after graduation. Upon program completion, you can pursue an in-demand job as an entry-level welder.
Women in Welding FAQs
1. What are the challenges faced by women in the welding industry?
Women in the welding industry often face challenges, such as being underestimated and judged based on gender. They may also have to contend with opinions and stereotypes that do not reflect their skills or capabilities. However, women have historically challenged these prejudices by entering and excelling in the field, creating more room for deserved recognition and advancement for other women in the welding industry.
2. Is welding a good career for a woman?
Yes, welding can be a rewarding career for women who are passionate about the trade. With proper training and determination, women can thrive and advance in this male-dominated field.
3. What percent of welders are female?
Though the exact percentage can vary, women currently make up a small fraction of the welding workforce. This highlights the opportunity for more women to become welders and make their mark in the industry.
Prepare for the Welding Industry at UTI
Offered at campuses nationwide, UTI’s welding program covers four of the major arc welding processes.
Learning gas metal arc welding (GMAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) can help prepare students for the industry by teaching some of the most commonly used methods!
Interested in learning more? Request information here or call 1-800-834-7308 to contact an Admissions Representative.
UTI Campuses That Offer Welding Training
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1 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
2 ) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.
6 ) UTI graduates’ achievements may vary. Individual circumstances and wages depend on personal credentials and economic factors. Work experience, industry certifications, the location of the employer and their compensation programs affect wages. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
50 ) The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that total national employment for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers will be 438,000 by 2032. See Table 1.2 Employment by detailed occupation, 2022 and projected 2032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed November 16, 2023. UTI and MIAT are educational institutions and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
77 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. UTI prepares graduates for entry-level careers using the provided training. UTI graduates’ achievements may vary. Some UTI graduates get jobs within their field of study in positions other than those listed.
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