Above: Woman welders in a fabricating shop, Bethlehem-Fairfield shipyards, May 1943. Photo: Library of Congress
July, 2026- Women welders were a significant part of Pittsburgh’s World War II story, according to the Heinz History Center. Despite course instructors cautioning that some welding environments, like shipyards, required “arduous climbing” or were “unsuitable” for women, female welding students lined up for classes at South Vocational High School, according to Douglas Naylor’s 1942 reporting in the Pittsburgh Press. Thousands of Pittsburgh-area women went to work building LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) at the Dravo Corp. and American Bridge Co.
These trailblazing women paved the way for women like Mikala Sposito, a 21-year-old student from Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who will be the United States’ competitor in welding for the 48th WorldSkills competition. Sposito is the first woman to be selected and secured her spot by winning the USA Weld Trials, which evaluate competitors on precision, safety, technical execution, craftsmanship and ability to complete complex multiprocess welding tasks under strict international standards and tight time constraints.
WorldSkills competitors “demonstrate exceptional technical skill along with the discipline, mental toughness and consistency required to perform at the highest level under intense pressure,” said Martica Ventura, senior manager for competitions, events and conferences at American Welding Society. “Mikala’s achievement reflects the high standards required to compete on a global stage and shows that excellence in welding is open to everyone.”
OUTREACH
Sposito’s passion for welding was ignited at a Maker Faire where, at age 10, she attended a virtual welding demonstration. She later won the 2024 SkillsUSA Michigan state champion- ship and dedicated 60 to 80 hours per week over the past two years to training at the college under instructor Alex Pazkowski, a former WorldSkills silver medalist.
The Manufacturing Institute notes that it’s important to “excite America’s youth about the incredible career pathways that modern manufacturing offers” by increasing awareness and changing misperceptions about the industry “through exposure to hands-on experiences and engaging content.”
Daniela Rubino and Lauren Wilson of RubinoWilson, East Hertfordshire, England, specialize in steel and aluminum fabrication for sculptural and architectural metalwork. They are also the founders of Ore Projects, a mentoring program encouraging young adults’ interest in metalworking.
Rubino says she loves being able to trans- form ideas into physical objects. “I love working with metal for the properties it has. It’s stable and strong. With welding and fabricating, you’re always working on projects that are completely different.”
Both Rubino and Wilson worked for fabrication companies, broadening their skills after earning diplomas. “Welding and being in the workshop was the best part of university for me,” Rubino says. “One of the catalysts for creating a space for people to come and learn was the difficulties we had when we tried to access it. Luckily, we had very good support, especially from both of our dads, who were championing us and encouraging us to not be afraid.”
Ore Projects works with young people, focusing on practical skills for real working environment and helping participants build confidence and learn by doing. “We think it’s very important to learn skills,”
Rubino says. “And Ore Projects is about making people feel comfortable coming to learn skills.” Classes are free, funded by the Arts Council of England and other sources. Students explore metal fabrication and welding, using tools safely and confidently, problem-solving and project planning, working as part of a team, and turning ideas into physical objects.
“We work with schools, special education and groups that may not have the access to or the confidence to come into a workshop,” says Rubino. “Lauren and I were very set on creating an environment that was welcoming, nonjudgemental and safe. We host various women-only classes for both young women and those who want to level up their skills or change their career.”
Recently, Ore Projects put together an event for a girls welding club, and Rubino says the girls were shy at first, watching a demo, but they all built up confidence to use the equipment and make a product. “They were really excited about it. Even if these girls don’t become welders, they’ve learned that they can do something hard and dangerous. Maybe they’ll choose another career where they’ll work with their hands.”
Ore Projects also encounters a lot of women who work outside of skilled trades and want an opportunity to explore different avenues, particularly with handson projects. One participant worked for a wood furniture maker but wanted to learn metalworking. “She came here, gained skills and went back to her employer with experience,” Rubino says.
Ore Projects also just finished its first public sculpture that was designed and built by a learning disabled group.
Women Who Weld’s week-long intensive welding class encourages participants who want to either pursue a full-time career in the industry or develop the skill for individual purposes. Photo: Women Who Weld
CWIT’s welding instructor Desiree Guzman, left, with a student.
Fabricator RH Simpson hosts CWIT’s welding class for a day of hands on training.
SEE IT, BE IT
“There is a demand for talent across the skilled trades, including welders, so women are seeking out these opportunities,” says Samantha Farrugia, executive director and founder of Women Who Weld, Detroit. “Societal norms are shifting, and there is less of a stigma toward women working as welders. Recently the impact of AI also has many people— women and men alike—looking to trade work as a viable career pathway.”
Women Who Weld offers both week-long intensive welding training classes and single-day introductory welding workshops. These teach “women how to weld and find employment in the welding industry,” says Farrugia. “We’ve trained over 750 women to weld, and the average age range of our participants is between 25 and 35. The minimum age to participate in our welding training pro- grams is 18, and, increasingly, we’re training participants under the age of 25. If you show initiative and a willingness to learn, you will create opportunities for yourself. Welding is hard work, but it can be exciting, fulfilling and lucrative.”
Jayne Vellinga, executive director for Chicago Women in Trades, also emphasizes “the desire to create” among women who seek out welding careers. “It is spectacular what a person can learn in 10 weeks—and a person can get so much satisfaction from that, especially at an entry level. When you are creating, there’s a feeling of satisfaction that a lot of other jobs do not provide. Our society has put a little bit of a stigma on doing handson work, but it can be the most fundamentally satisfying kind of work.”
CWIT’s coalition of tradeswomen, industry allies and advocates are committed to dismantling barriers and building bridges through training programs, strategic policy initiatives and industry support. “Women really don’t have the same paths to middle-classwage jobs as men do, so that’s what we’re trying to address,” Vellinga notes.
There have always been women interested in the skilled trades not only because they suit people with varied interests but also pay well. However, “these last couple of years is maybe the first time in our history where we don’t need to recruit to fill a class,” she says. “A lot of it is word of mouth. In general, people are starting to question the investment in the college degree. There may be more skepticism about that route and a desire to seek options. We also have made progress over the decades and women are more visible in these careers— you’re more likely to know a woman doing this kind of job or see them in ways that decades ago, you wouldn’t have.”
The demographic is evolving. Previously, many of CWIT’s participants were seeking out a well-paying second career after their life circumstances changed through divorce and they needed a way to provide for families. Now they’re younger and seeking out their first careers, says Vellinga.
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE
CWIT’s Women in Welding is a 300-hour, 10-week program that prepares women to become skilled welders in a variety of fields. Graduates are certified in welding and ready to begin their careers in manufacturing, welding, metalworking and the construction industry.
The organization also works with Elmhurst, Illinois-based fabricator RH Simpson to provide hands-on training. Kristopher Haas, president of RH Simpson, in a statement, said that “welding spans many industries, and even in construction, we have both fabrication and installation sides with different techniques and work environments. We provide an introduction to ornamental and miscellaneous metal fabrication.”
During these visits, students are immersed in a active shop environment, work on actual projects and experience what it’s like to be part of the fabrication team. They “get to try everything: TIG welding delicate pieces, cut- ting metal with oxy-fuel torches, operating punching and shearing equipment, and finishing work through grinding and polishing—all skills our best fabricators need to master,” according to Haas.
Ore Projects’ workshops are inclusive, creating a supportive space to learn welding techniques. They recently finished a public sculpture designed and built by a learning disabled group.
CWIT also conducted a women’s millwright class, with 10 women who completed the training and were indentured into the millwright apprenticeship program. “They were placed at various companies by the millwrights local, and all of them are still in. I believe they are second-year apprentices now,” Vellinga says.
“Before this class, there were seven women in the millwright apprenticeship program, making up less than 5 percent of total apprentices. After the class, there were 17, more than doubling women’s participation in this program.”
The organization had similar success with an ironworkers program, where women completed one week of training with Local 1, one week with Local 63 and one week with Local 444. In all, six graduates became ironworking apprentices at one of those locals.
Farrugia says hundreds of former Women Who Weld participants have obtained full- time jobs as welders in automotive, aerospace, construction, critical infrastructure, defense, energy and custom fabrication. “Additionally, many of our former participants have been accepted into union apprenticeships, including the boilermakers, electricians, ironworkers, pipefitters, plumbers and sheet metal workers. A subset continue their education in welding engineering, technology and robotic welding.”
STAY CURIOUS AND PERSEVERE
As a minority in the welding industry and across the skilled trades, women entering the industry still “face challenges in finding workwear that fits properly, working in environments that may lack a dedicated restroom and/or potential bullying and harassment from coworkers simply due to their gender,” Farrugia acknowledges.
However, she expects the younger generation will be more accepting of women in the welding industry, especially as their numbers increase.
Vellinga says that CWIT strives to nurture a community of tradeswomen and peer support groups. “There are social events every month, opportunities to volunteer, and ways to connect through social media and group chats. Through CWIT’s Equity Resource Center, our support extends to formal mentor- ship—connecting women with experienced tradeswomen and guidance on navigating challenging job site situations, as well as supporting contractors and unions through guidance and respectful workplace training.”
Rubino’s advice for anyone trying to break into the skilled trades is to “shadow people, ask questions, and try to get hands-on experience. If someone says no, they aren’t the right person to work with. Try to gain as much practical experience as you can. We have a network of creative people and run tools and talks with established creative professionals, giving participants the chance to meet people working in the industry, ask questions and hear honest advice about career paths.”
This helps young people understand what jobs are available; learn what working in the creative/technical field is like; and find routes into training, apprenticeships and employment. “There’s so much talent out there looking for a place to land—a way to spend their lives creating rather than pushing papers,” says Vellinga.
