The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 36
RACHEL
KING
WELDER
Access to and quality of educational
opportunities opened Rachel King up
to a field she hadn't even considered.
Rachel King, welder at Altec, had planned on going into the medical
field before her eighth-grade class visited the Burton Center for
Arts and Technology in Salem, a Roanoke County public school
that focuses on vocational trades like auto service technology, IT,
cosmetology, construction arts and other skilled trades. King's visit
changed her mind.
"The welding class was the first
one I visited, and I was drawn to it. I
liked the idea of being able to create
art with it. I didn't realize you could
do that," she says.
Some of the creative metalwork
from Burton students is sold locally
to adorn businesses and homes. She
spent four years honing the craft of
welding at Burton.
"After I got into it, I found
that I could make really intricate,
interesting things with it," says King.
During that time, she competed
in the Skills USA state competition
three times. She won first place with
a playground of fully moveable items
like people, benches, a sandbox, a
seesaw and merry-go-round crafted
out of sheet metal.
Welding is a traditionally maledominated field. Despite the glowing
36
MARCH/APRIL 2018
representations of Rosie the Riveter,
probably the most famous welder
male or female, there was a time
where girls weren't even allowed to
take shop classes or train in skilled
trades like welding, plumbing,or
construction. Today, only 4.1 percent
of welders are women, yet the
American Welding Society estimates
a 290,000 job deficit in welders by
2020.
As to why there aren't more
women in the profession, King says,
"I think it's because a lot of girls
don't realize it's an option for them."
Programs like Bur ton's are
integral in exposing students to
well-paying, stable careers in skilled
trades-and it was instrumental in
King's success.
"My teacher, Mr. Overfelt, was so
helpful and having that leadership
was important in keeping me going."
After Burton, King pursued
further training and now works as
a full-time welder. In the field, King
reports little resistance.
" I h a v e n't r e a l l y h a d a n y
challenges as a woman welder. Some
people may hold women welders to
a higher standard or assume that
we're more detailed. But I'm held
to the same standard as everyone
else. A woman may not have the
same brawn as a man, but we have
the same brains, so I solve problems
differently and can contribute unique
solutions," says King.
And for women considering
welding as a career, King's advice is,
"Do it! Get in there. Try it out and
do it with heart. After my first year, I
realized how creative and productive
welding was and I want other women
to feel that too."
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The Roanoker - March/April 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - March/April 2018
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Intro
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover1
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover2
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 3
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 4
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 5
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 6
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 7
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 8
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 9
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 10
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 11
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 12
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 13
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 14
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 15
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 16
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 17
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 18
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 19
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The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 98
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover3
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover4
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