‘I won’t have to struggle anymore’

While the image of “Rosie the Riveter” may have been a staple of World War II era propaganda, women are still a distinct minority in the welding industry.

According to a 2013 study completed by the United States Department of Labor, female welders make up less than two percent of welders nationwide. That’s a number Jared Kingery, the welding instructor at DMACC’s Newton campus, would like to change. According to Kingery, who cited research that shows women often have better hand eye coordination than their male counterparts, women often make better welders.

“We’ve got to get the women interested, we just don’t have enough guys doing this,” Kingery said.

Why welding? Kingery rattles of the statistics one by one, pointing out the nationwide shortage of welders, estimated as high as 300,000 as well the opportunity to make a good living. On a daily basis, Kingery said he gets calls from employers who are looking for welders to hire. After a career working on an assembly line at Maytag Kingery said he knows firsthand how lucky his students are.

“We’re getting it out in front of them now. We didn’t have this when I went to high school,” Kingery said. “That’s why I went to work at Maytag. I needed to pay the bills.”

In Newton, DMACC offers students two pathways towards earning a welding degree: high school students in Jasper County can enroll in the community college’s Career Academy Program, as well as starting the welding program after they’ve graduated. High school students who start the program their junior year can easily obtain a two-year degree from DMACC less than a year after graduation, Kingery said. Students who complete both years at the Career Academy will have earned 21 college credits, only 15 credits shy of the 36 credits needed for a welding diploma from DMACC. Once they’ve graduated from the program, there’s a constantly growing job market for welders. Kingery said he’s had many local businesses reach out to him, some companies are offering a starting salary of more than $45,000 per year for a certified welder.

Like Kingery, many of the students in the college level program are looking for a fresh start. After all, he’s been in the same place many of his students are. When he lost his job at Maytag he enrolled in the welding program, graduating in 2007 with his degree. Shortly after, he started teaches classes at the community college.

Kingery’s trio of women welders may come from different backgrounds, but they share a common goal; each woman sees welding as the ticket to a better life.

With a welding degree Amanda Llanes is hoping to discover a wealth of opportunities that’ll take her beyond her job working at a factory in Pella. She’s hoping to join the pipefitter’s union as a travelling welder, something that she believes will improve her financial outlook.

“I just want to get all of my student debt cleared out, just to not have to struggle anymore,” Llanes said.

With starting salaries for welders coming in at more than $40,000 a year, Llanes refrain is one her female classmates know all too well. All three of Kingery’s students said earning a welding degree would substantially increase their quality of life. For Dudley, who works as a shift supervisor at Shugar’s True Value Supermarket in Colfax while living at home with her parents, a welding certificate will double her income.

“It’ll have a huge economic impact for me,” Dudley said. Once I get a job, I can get out on my own, I won’t have to struggle anymore.”

Emma Dudley, a Colfax native, graduated from high school in 2016. Initially, she thought she wanted to become a nurse, but after taking classes at DMACC in Newton, she realized it wasn’t the right fit for her.

“I couldn’t see myself doing it as a career,” Dudley said. “I didn’t want to hate what I’m doing for the rest of my life.”

Instead, she decided to pick up an oxy-acetylene torch and become a welder. Although they’re located in the same cluster of buildings on DMACC’s Newton campus the two program are miles apart. Dudley’s traded her nursing scrubs for a heavy leather jacket, steel-toed boots, and welding helmet.

For Llanes, a Knoxville native who’s nearly finished with the program, a job as a welder represents a way out. Llanes, who became a convicted felon at 17 found herself with few job options beyond fast food when she was released from prison.

“Since I got out of prison the only jobs I could find were in fast food or in a factory,” Llanes said. “Welding is a stepping stone for me.”

The promise of a big payday down the road is more than enough incentive to encourage the women to stay in the program, despite the challenges they encounter. In a male dominated industry, all three women said they’ve struggled to connect with many of their male classmates. During breaks, the male students often hang out together, it’s a circle that Dudley described as “intimidating” to break into. Even though they don’t always feel included outside of the classroom, all three agreed Kingery goes above and beyond to make them feel welcomed inside the classroom.

“He treats everyone the same, whether you’re a boy or a girl,” Dudley said. “He encourages everyone, he helps everyone.”

Kingery easily shrugs off the assumption that women can’t be welders, he’s worked diligently to encourage women to join the program. He knows they might have reservations, but in his eyes, they have unique advantages many of their male counterparts can’t touch. The biggest advantage -- most of them have never welded before.

“They’ve got zero bad habits to break, they’re starting out at ground zero,” Kingery said.

The experience they gain working in DMACC’s welding lab will help students lay the foundation for a career, whether it’s working in a factory, or becoming union welder. Even though his students often say they’re not interested in factory jobs, Kingery said it’s hard to ever rule anything out in life, reflecting on his former career at Maytag.

“Who knows where it’s going to lead for anyone,” Kingery said. “Fifteen years ago if someone told me I’d be a welding instructor I’d have laughed in their face.”

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com