National Post (National Edition)
Women Can Forge a Bright Future in Welding
Online networks and training can help women overcome barriers to entering the welding trade.
W hen Jill Timushka first tried welding with her father, she liked it immediately. She got her apprenticeship started right away, and before she knewit, shewas journeyman-certified. Now, she’s a B-pressure welder, Red Seal-endorsed, and has been in her career formore than 20 years.
“If I were to give my younger selfany advice, I would say to try trades in high school and to get the career started a lot earlier ,” says Tim ushka. “It’ s always interesting, and the pay and benefits have allowed met olive a very good life.”
Ti mush kai sin the minority as a woman in welding. Barriers to women entering the trades are legion—from lack of awareness and encouragement in high school to reports of isolation and discrimination on the job. It’s no wonder that women make up only 4.5 percent of the skilled trades workforce, and fewer than one in 20 welders are women.
Part of the mandate of the CW B Welding Foundation is to help women access the opportunities that exist in welding and related trades. Its Women of Steel (WOS) programming aims to support women in welding through foundational training and mentorship. The WOS Forging New Opportunities: Introduction to Welding Program is a 30-hour course funded in part by the Government of Canada. Between April 2019 and March 2020, the CWB Welding Foundation held 10 sessions across Canada, which engaged 120 participants.
While in-person programming has been suspended due to the C OVID19 pandemic, the foundation hopes to deliver programs again when the time is right.
Beyond the training program, the CWB Welding Foundation’s #WomenOfSteel network allows women welders to connect and share their journeys, and encourages other women to explore careers in welding. This helps to raise awareness of the opportunities and pathways available to women in welding. #WomenOfSteel ismade up of more than 85 ambassador sand continues to grow. The foundation’s hope is that when women hear from other women who have found success in the skilled trades, they’ll be inspired to follow a similar path.