Women in Welding Technology: IWD 2021

Celebrate International Women’s Day Monday, March 8, 2021

IWD 2021 campaign theme: #ChooseToChallenge¹

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions—all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.

IWD sees a number of MISSIONS to help forge a gender equal world.
Celebrating women’s achievements and increasing visibility, while calling out inequality, is key.

About International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.

Marked annually on March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:

Celebrate women’s achievements

Raise awareness about women’s equality

Lobby for accelerated gender parity

Fundraise for female-focused charities

FIND OUT MORE…

Welding Technology Represented in 2019 Xcel Energy Women in Welding Competition²

Three welding tech students are competing Tuesday, March 26

Three students—Bree Robinson, Chelsea Wiger and Quinn Kruse—in the Welding Technology program at Dakota County Technical College are competing in the Xcel Energy 2019 Women in Welding Competition Tuesday, March 26, 2019, on the campus of St. Cloud Technical & Community College in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Open to high school and college students, the welding contest offers separate, skill-level competitions.

College skill-level competitions include:

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
Oxy-Fuel Cutting (OFC)

Bruce Hartung and Blake Goehring, Welding Tech faculty, are proud to have welders in their program competing in the 2019 Women in Welding Competition.

“The DCTC Welding Technology program continues to be a leader in providing skilled welders for business and industry, with most of our students finding employment before our May graduation date,” Bruce said. “New this year is the opportunity provided by Xcel Energy to highlight women who have chosen to become welders. Welding Tech students, Bree, Chelsea and Quinn, have demonstrated outstanding welding skills, and we are happy to support their venture at the March 26 competition.”

(left to right) Bree Robinson, Quinn Kruse, Bruce Hartung, Chelsea Wiger

Welding Student Spotlight: Quinn Kruse

Quinn Kruse

Quinn Kruse, 18, is earning her diploma in the Welding Tech program. Quinn is graduating May 2019 with plans to pursue a career as a TIG welder. According to Wikipedia, “gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, is an arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld.”

Originally from Hastings, Minnesota, Quinn is a 2018 graduate of Hastings High School, where she was a 5’4 point guard on her JV basketball team. She works while attending DCTC on the post-construction cleanup crew at R and G Construction.

Quinn enjoys riding dirt bikes and being outdoors in her free time. She has two siblings, Mckenzie, 26, and Wyatt, 20. She also owns two dogs, border collie/lab mixes called Karma, 10, and Lucy, 1. Quinn resides in Hastings.

Three words that describe you as a college student:
HARDWORKING. DEDICATED. OUTGOING.

Quinn Kruse • Q & A

Quinn Kruse

Why did you choose your career path?
My grampa is a retired welder. I also want a hands-on job.

What do you like best about welding?
Not doing the same thing everyday. I like the idea of traveling and working where I want.

What is your goal for the Xcel Energy 2019 Women in Welding Competition?
Have fun and learn about welding programs at other schools.

What is the most challenging part of the Welding Technology program?
Torch cutting.

What is one thing every welder should know?
Safety.

What one word best describes you as a welder?
MOTIVATED.

Quinn Kruse • 12 Answers

Favorite sport or physical activity: Basketball
Place you would most like to visit: New Zealand
The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Skydiving
Your personal motto if you had to have one: “Practice makes permanent.”
Favorite all-time TV show: Scandal
Favorite all-time movie: The Breakfast Club
One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Finding a career I enjoy doing everyday.
Your national bird if you could have one: Baltimore oriole
Dream occupation: TIG welding
Person you would most like to meet: Dabs Wellington (Sean Flottman)
Skill you would most like to learn and master: Pianist
Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Unemployment

More about the Welding Technology program…

The Welding Technology program at DCTC offers a variety of training in different welding processes specific to our trade. You will gain knowledge through theory in class and hands-on experience in the welding lab.

Major topics and welding processes are covered in this nine-month course to ready you for entry-level positions in the industry. Subjects covered include:

Shielded Metal Arc

Gas Metal Arc

Flux Cored Arc

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Processes

Oxy/Fuel

Plasma Arc

Carbon Air Arc

Cutting and Gouging Processes

You will work with a variety of metals, including steel, stainless steel and aluminum. Shop fabrication, blueprint reading, math, visual inspection and safety are covered in the curriculum. Learn more…

Welding Student Spotlight: Chelsea Wiger

Chelsea Wiger

A 2009 graduate of the School of Environmental Studies, Chelsea Wiger, 28, earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) from Inver Hills Community College. Chelsea reported that her grandfather, Ronald O. Wiger, was one of the original instructors at Inver Hills. He taught drama and always said he “came with the bricks.”

Chelsea went on to earn a B.S. in Geography with a Minor in Geographic Information Science (GIS) from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. She is on track to graduate this May with her diploma from the Welding Technology program.

Chelsea works while going to college as a metal inert gas (MIG) welder for Cannon Equipment in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. When she’s not working or honing her welding skills, she loves to work out and considers herself a gym rat. She’s training to run a half-marathon this summer. She has one brother, Alec, 22, who’s also a welder. Chelsea resides in Farmington, Minnesota, her hometown.

Three words that describe you as a college student:
MOTIVATED. EXCITED. OPTIMISTIC.

Chelsea Wiger • Q & A

Chelsea Wiger

Why did you choose your career path?
I realized I didn’t like to sit in an office—I get bored very easily. The trades are in very high demand right now and it looked like fun.

What do you like best about welding? It’s like sewing with fire! I like that there are so many different things that you can do for a career. I also like the fact that you are basically building or fixing something.

What is your goal for the Xcel Energy 2019 Women in Welding Competition?
To do my best!

What is the most challenging part of the Welding Technology program?
Blueprint reading!!!

What is one thing every welder should know?
Lots of patience and lots of practice.

What one word best describes you as a welder?
DETERMINED.

Chelsea Wiger • 12 Answers

Favorite sport or physical activity: Soccer—I played from age 5 to 16 and now like to watch professional soccer, including the Minnesota United.
Place you would most like to visit: Hawaii
The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Spent 10 days hiking and camping at Denali National Park in Alaska.
Your personal motto if you had to have one: “Be yourself.”
Favorite all-time TV show: The Simpsons
Favorite all-time movie: Sixteen Candles
One thing you most want to accomplish in life: To have a job I love.
Your national bird if you could have one: Red-tailed hawk
Dream occupation: Tattoo artist
Person you would most like to meet: Garth Brooks
Skill you would most like to learn and master: Do a muscle-up.
Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Greed

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Weld or join metal pieces together using hand-welding, flame-cutting, or brazing tools.

WAGE

Above the statewide median of $20.07/hour.

Minnesota

Median: $20.94/hour
High: $24.90/hour

Seven-county Twin Cities metro

Median: $22.24/hour
High: $26.80/hour

OUTLOOK

This career is currently in very high demand and seeing high growth compared to other careers. Growth rate is 6.8 percent. There will be a need for about 11,037 new Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers to meet market demand between 2016–2026. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

— Minnesota State CAREERwise Education

Welding Student Spotlight: Bree Robinson

Bree Robinson

Bree Robinson, 23, played hockey for the Burnsville Blaze in high school. Bree graduated from BHS in 2014 and is looking forward to graduating from DCTC this May with a diploma from the Welding Technology program.

Bree has centered her career goals on becoming an apprentice union welder and continue gaining experience until she’s a master welder. She looking at taking more schooling down the road.

A resident of Burnsville, her hometown, Bree has three siblings, Lori, 32, Collin, 30, and Brooke, 22. She has a 6-month-old puppy mutt name Karma.

Three words that describe you as a college student:
HARDWORKING. DRIVEN. PATIENT.

Bree Robinson • Q & A

Bree Robinson

Why did you choose your career path?
I was in the DCTC Heavy Duty Truck Technology program when I decided I really wanted to be a welder. I also did welding when I worked at DSI in Lakeville. I found out I love welding.

What do you like best about welding?
Doing something right is very satisfying because welding can be very difficult.

What is your goal for the Xcel Energy 2019 Women in Welding Competition?
Maybe win—that would be nice.

What is the most challenging part of the Welding Technology program?
Blueprints.

What is one thing every welder should know?
Understanding protective equipment and safety.

What one word best describes you as a welder?
COMPETITIVE.

Bree Robinson • 12 Answers

Favorite sport or physical activity: Hockey
Place you would most like to visit: Go back to Europe.
The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Going to France for three weeks when I was 15.
Your personal motto if you had to have one: “Always try your hardest.”
Favorite all-time TV show: Game of Thrones
Favorite all-time movie: Step Brothers
One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Get as far along as I can in the welding field and maybe become an instructor.
Your national bird if you could have one: Robin
Dream occupation: Union welder
Person you would most like to meet: Seth Rogen
Skill you would most like to learn and master: Art welding
Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Laziness—no one wants to go into tech programs.