Forbes reported in 2018 that only 5% of women made up the welding workforce.

Students Caitlin Kieliszewski, Tiffany Younk, Hannah Hentkowski, Alicia Bishop, Nicole Zinke, Taylor Murray, Sierra Haas, and Niya Artez are working to raise that percentage.

Zinke said women go into welding because they love it and know that opportunities are available locally for them, such as Besser Co. and Omni Metalcraft Corp.

“I was always taught that I can do anything. It didn’t matter the gender norm for it, as long as I worked at it,” Younk said. “You can do whatever you want to do.”

News Photo Julie Goldberg Student Caitlin Kieliszewski hammers a piece of metal in the Alpena Community College welding lab.

At ACC, the women are learning everything it takes to be a welder, including welding in a booth, using equipment that can make metal pieces smaller, and using a robotic arm to perform welds.

Though they’re in a class with a majority of males, the women don’t feel less superior.

They said welding wouldn’t be classified as a male-dominated field if more women got involved.

“It’s empowering, almost, to know that you’re a female in a male-dominated workforce,” Murray said. “It’s not like men go out and do the work and women stay home, anymore. We can do anything a man can do.”

If women believe they can succeed in a male-domianted field, whether it’s welding or something else, they should do it, Kieliszewski said.

News Photo Julie Goldberg Tiffany Younk gets tools ready before welding.

“If we have more people join, then it’s not going to be that scary,” Bishop said.

Everyone treats each other the same in the welding classes, no matter what gender they are. If the women need help, they ask the men.

If the men need help, they’ll ask the women.

Women should take welding, Hentkowski said, because it’s something on which they can fall back. She said that, in welding, they learn skills and memorize those quickly.

Since welding involves hands-on work every day, Hentkowski believes it’s an easier field, compared to others.

News Photo Julie Goldberg Alicia Bishop and Taylor Murray put on their welding gear before working during class.

“This is just easy and becomes easy over time,” Hentkowski said. “It’s a dying trade and not a lot of people weld anymore, so, if you learn how to weld and you’re decent or good at it, you can easily find a job anywhere.”

Bishop is 4 feet, 11 inches tall, and said anyone can do welding, no matter what size they are.

“If I can do it, you can do it,” Bishop said.

Unlike the other women in the welding program, Hentkowski isn’t just an ACC student. She’s also a Rogers City High School student.

She took the opportunity to take welding classes right away when it was offered to her.

News Photo Julie Goldberg Nicole Zinke controls a robotic arm that helps weld metal recently during class.

“When I signed up for dual enrollment classes, there was a welding class and I signed up,” she said. “I’m doing welding and hoping it will get me far in life.”

When she started, Hentkowski knew nothing about welding, so she needed help when classes started before getting the hang of things.

“I was in a booth with a college student until I figured out how to weld and then we got our own booths,” Hentkowski said. “It was a little intimidating, but I’m glad I get the experience now versus when I’m on my own and I have to pay for it out of my own pocket.”

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.

News Photo Julie Goldberg Alicia Bishop works on welding a square piece of metal for the first time.