Women in Welding: West Point CTC builds foundation for students
Even with the job outlook expected to increase, only about 5.8% of women make up the field
WEST POINT, MISS. (WCBI) – For the past decade, the Golden Triangle has become a hub for economic development, attracting major industries like Paccar, Airbus, Steel Dynamics, and the Aluminum Mill. As these industries grow, more people are turning to trade schools for training.
One teacher in West Point is looking to lay the foundation for the welders of tomorrow, aiming to show there is room for everyone in the industry
Coree Nimmo first stepped foot in the metal fabrication class as a student, but today you can find her at the front of the classroom giving lessons.
“I actually took this class from Mr. Bobby Grahm in high school. I kind of went a different career at first but then the director here Mr. Patrick Ray was actually talking to me one day and came to find out this job came up and he wanted to know if it would be something I would be interested in teaching and I jump on it and I was like heck yeah,” Nimmo said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for welders, cutters, solderers, and braziers is expected to grow by 2% by 2033.
“There is a lot of money to be made as well as a lot of places you can go that a lot of people don’t know about. It’s not just Hey I have to go here and weld it hey you could go on a boat, you could go on over the railroad. You know you can go a bunch of different places with this and the good thing about teaching it though is I get to meet all types of people,” Nimmo said.
Even with the job outlook expected to increase, only about 5.8% of women make up the field, but that is why students like Isabelle Hamlin, Kaz Edwards, and Sanarri Walker are looking to grow those numbers.
“I really have just always been interested in welding and putting things together,” said Hamlin.
” I want to go to a trade school,” said Walker.
For Edwards, she is looking to keep the family tradition going.
“My grandfather, my uncle, a lot of my family have been welders for a long time and I just think it really good for my family to succeed and I just want to do that with them,” said Edwards.
Nimmo says women are just what the industry needs.
” Unbeknownst to people women make good welders because they are so meticulous. I try to encourage them to come because they do a wonderful job out here in the shop. They always get their work done. They are interested to know what’s what and how to do something. So I am interested in teaching them. Not to say that the boys aren’t you know but it’s nice to see women getting dirty,” said Nimmo.
Nimmo says the boys don’t go easy on the girls, and that the industry takes a lot of grit.
“A little bit. Yeah. I have a lot that would come in with makeup and jewelry on and that doesn’t bother me. I don’t care. As long as you wear your PPE and you do your projects I don’t care what you wear just as long as you are safe. ”
The girls say it’s easy to have grit when you have a role model like Nimmo.
” It was easy to see that females can have success in the welding industry and also kind of shows the grit that you have to have because if you know Ms. Nimmo then you know she has got grit to her,” said Hamlin.
“She’s not just an instructor she’s a good person,” Edwards said.
“She shows that it’s not weird being the only girl in a male-dominated field and that it’s okay and she’s supportive,” said Walker.
The number of women in welding has grown by 30% since 2016 and the number of women in trades has increased by 47% since 2017.
All Students in the medal fabrication class have the potential to receive their NCCER and NIMS certifications by the time they graduate high school.
