WEDDED TO WELDING
By Jean Thilmany

The welder sits in the middle of the room, surrounded by blue and orange flying sparks, the very picture of a manly trade indeed. Finishing the job, the welder pulls up the faceguard to reveal—a grinning teenage girl.

These girls are spending a week of their high-school summer vacation camped out at the Calhoun Community College of Decatur, Ala., to learn the fundamentals of welding. During the week, many of them will become wedded to welding and, while still in their teens, will decide to look into welding as a lifelong career, according to the camp’s founders.

Seventeen-year-old Athena Hinkle, for instance, has her sights set on a college welding program after she graduates high school. Courtney Turpen, 15, also wants to be a welder. Both attended the camp last summer.


High-school girls make sparks fly during welding classes at an Alabama community college.

The Summer Welding and Electrical Technology, or Sweety, camp gives participants the opportunity to learn hands-on about technical skills. In the process, it sparks the interest of area high school girls in nontraditional, high-wage careers in welding and electrical technology, said Jim Swindell, associate dean for technology education at the community college.

“By introducing these career options to young women still in high school, we hope to guide them early on into the math and science courses they will need to prepare them to earn a degree or certificate in these high-demand, high-paying fields,” Swindell said.

After completing a two-year welding degree programs, students can earn up to $50,000 annually at a very young age, Swindell said.

That message is not lost on campers like, Paige Burris, a senior at Elkmont High School in Elkmont, Ala., who recently moved to the area with her family. Her mom learned of the camp through a flyer posted at school and encouraged her daughter to participate. Burris is familiar with basic welding and as a hunter uses the skill to weld deer stands.

“My dad is involved in welding and I’ve always liked it,” she said. “This camp has been very educational for me; I plan to study to be a veterinarian, but I’m also interested in engineering, so if I go that route, the hands-on experience I’m getting now will be invaluable, not to mention that there are a lot of jobs in that field with great starting pay.”

Of course the girls set the sparks flying when they get their hands on the tools. But they also develop problem-solving skills and learn to work in teams as they participate in projects and field trips, and interact with women role models during industry-sponsored lunches, said Gwen Baker, camp coordinator.

“By introducing them to successful women who currently work in nontraditional fields and by offering them a number of convincing reasons why girls should consider technical careers, students are challenged to break down stereotypes that may deter girls from pursuing technical professions,” Baker said.


Girls learn about how to ready pieces and equipment for welding during free summer classes.

Hinkle, presently a student at Athens Bible School in Athens, Ala., decided to attend the camp this year because one of the camp’s instructors is also her high school welding teacher.

Calhoun Community College also offers many of its two-year welding degree program classes at the high school level so students can receive dual credit for classes they take before high school graduation, Baker said.

The camp is free for participants. Local chambers of commerce and businesses in the area recognize the importance of investing in the workforce of the not-so-distant future and help support the camp financially, Baker said.

Sixteen-year old Casey Hamer, a student at Woodville High School in Woodville, Ala., traveled almost an hour each morning to get to the camp, but felt it was worth the drive.

“My mom found out about this online and I really like trying new experiences, so I decided to come,” she said. “The welding is fun and it’s something I might like to do later.”