Do welders typically care if a coworker is a woman?
I’m 21F, and an aspiring welder, going to pre-employment classes at SAIT in September. I’m ordering my AIT blue-book this week as well. Ultimately, I want to be double-ticketed as a welder and a pipe fitter, but welding’s been my main interest from the start.
I’ve wanted to pursue a career in welding for a long, long time. I finally got my foot in the door through a program called Women Building Futures. You can probably guess from the name, it’s a program that helps women get into the trades and gives them a bunch of safety certification and a bit of hands-on experience.
Throughout the program, I’ve been hearing conflicting narratives regarding women in the trades, and how they’re viewed and treated. And I just want to get a little more insight on the matter, in regard to welders specifically. Will most welders really care about me being a woman? Or will I just be judged by my ability to show up on time and actually do a decent job? Would most Journeymen generally be unphased about teaching a female-apprentice?
I’m a little bit tomboyish, so hopefully that helps me blend in a bit, but I’m still not gonna kid myself about being “one of the guys”. I’m really hoping I can just keep my head down and manage to fit in, I hear a lot of women gravitate towards welding, so hopefully I won’t be the only woman in the shop or on site.
Any personal insight or experience from anyone would be appreciated. I just want to know what I should expect and what I can do to help myself fit in.