As part of her remote learning, Whitney M. Young Jr. Job Corps welding student, Kenad Johnson, wrote an essay titled “Why I Want a Career in Welding and How It Will Affect My Life.”  In her essay, shown in part below, Johnson discusses the challenges of entering a traditionally male-dominated career path and the motivation behind her choice to pursue welding.

“According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women make up approximately 2 percent of welders in the United States.  I do not know why there aren’t more woman welders.  Women work just as hard or even harder than men.  Welding is dangerous, welding takes patience, welding takes trial and error.  I’m a woman and I am not backing down from any challenge.

I am a single mom of a 4-year-old beautiful boy.  I want to be stable and also be a role model.  I want to show my son that anyone can do anything no matter how stereotypical things can be.  I want to be the best there is.  I want to make my son proud.

There are obstacles I have to take/go through while being a female welder.  Guys tend to sexualize woman a lot, especially straight women.  Also, people tend to thing we women are no help in the show, or they think we are too weak to do a manual hard labor job.  Well let’s get one thing straight, it is 2020; people need to get over the stereotypes.

“Solveig Erikstad is a pioneer, being one of the first female welders at Ulstein, employed in 1974”.

Since 1974 women have been welding.  People need to get over the gender roles.  Women are busting butts just like the men, and also welding pays fantastic!According to Chron.com, “The average hourly wage for a welder is $17.61, which translates to an annual salary of $44,519.  The average pay for welders, per hour, typically ranges from $12.74 to $25.66.  The annual welder salary usually ranges from $25,000 to $88,000.”  That’s not fast food-working money.  That is hard-earned welding money.

Heavy machinery, flammable items, torches, saws, grinders — so many things to worry about when being a welder.  This is no playtime job.  You play around and you might kill yourself.  You won’t last long if you are not serious.  I love the sound of that because I like to surround myself with successful level-headed people who work hard and get stuff done.

Being a welder opens up so many opportunities — traveling, underwater welding, owning your own business, knowing that you can always get employed, and many other things.  I am interested in almost all of the above.

I actually enjoy welding and the hard labor, I enjoy learning new things.  I enjoy getting stronger physically and pushing my skills to the limit.  Welding keeps me stable.  Welding gave me hope.

I am a single mom, and I am going to be successful and make my son proud!”