WE MET THREE YOUNG WOMEN
BREAKING AN OLD GLASS CEILING
WITH A LITTLE FIREPOWER.
>> I LIKE TO GET DIRTY.
I LIKE HAVING SOMETHING TO
PROVE.
I LIKE BEING WITH THE GUYS.
>> Reporter: KIA LEONARD LANDED
HER DREAM JOB.
ARE YOU GOOD AT IT?
>> VERY GOOD AT WHAT I DO.
>> Reporter: LILY KLEIN LOOKS
FORWARD TO PUNCHING IN.
>> I ALWAYS ENJOYED MAKING
THINGS.
>> Reporter: BAILEY STEEL GETS
STRETCHED OUT AT THE OFFICE.
>> IT IS LIKE MEDICATION.
YOU CAN BE QUIET, BREATHE, AND
DO YOUR THING.
>> Reporter: THIS IS WHAT SPARKS
THEIR PASSION.
WELDING.
OFTEN SEEN AS A MAN’S JOB, THESE
YOUNG WOMEN ARE TORCHING THAT
OLD GLASS CEILING.
>> ON THE PRODUCTION LINE, ROSIE
THE RIVETER STEPS IN WHEN THE
DRAFTEES STEP OUT.
>> Reporter: 80 YEARS AGO, WOMEN
WERE PICKING UP THE TORCH,
THOUSANDS STEPPING UP DURING
WORLD WAR II.
BUT WHEN THE MEN RESULTED, MOST
DE
-- RETURNED, MOST DEPARTED.
THESE THREE PART OF A NEW
GENERATION.
ONLY ABOUT 4% OF WELDERS RIGHT
NOW ARE FEMALE.
YOU ARE PIONEERS, ALL OF YOU.
WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WAS THIS
SOMETHING YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU
MIGHT DO?
>> GOD, NO.
I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A WOMAN’S
JOB.
BECAUSE YOU DON’T SEE ANY WOMEN
WELDERS ON TV OR ANYWHERE.
>> Reporter: WE TALKED WITH
THESE TRAILBLAZERS AT A CUSTOM
FURNITURE SHOP OUTSIDE OF
DETROIT, WHERE A LOT OF WELDING
TAKES PLACE.
THE ONLY BATHROOM ON THE SHOP
FLOOR, A REMINDER OF WHO MOSTLY
WORKS IN THESE JOBS.
DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU’RE FIRST ON
THE JOB, MEN TEND TO
UNDERESTIMATE YOU AND YOUR
ABILITIES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> OF COURSE.
>> FOR SURE.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: ALL OF YOU?
>> MM-HMM.
>> THEY TEND TO, OH, SILLY GIRL,
YOU, OR LET’S JUST KEEP YOU
HERE.
>> Reporter: UNDERESTIMATE THEM
AT YOUR PERIL.
LILY MAKES CUSTOM FURNITURE AT
THIS SHOP.
BAILEY IS WELDING CELLS FOR THE
NEW COUNTY JAIL.
AND TIA HELPED BUILD THE
ELABORATE OVENS USED TO BAKE ON
CAR PAINT.
WHEN SOMEONE HOLLERS FLASH, WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN?
>> DON’T LOOK.
ABSOLUTELY.
THE LIGHT FROM WELDING IS VERY
HARMFUL.
>> Reporter: AS IN, IT CAN CAUSE
TEMPORARY BLINDNESS THAT CAN
LAST FOR WEEKS.
IT IS NO JOKE.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE
DOING, YOU COULD GET REALLY
HURT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> YEAH.
>> YOU HAVE TO HAVE A COUPLE
BATTLE SCARS.
IF YOU’RE A GIRLY GIRL, THIS IS
NOT FFROR YOU.
>> Reporter: ALL THREE ARE
GRADUATES OF A DETROIT PROGRAM,
WOMEN WHO WELD, AN INTENSE
TRAINING COURSE WITH AN AMAZING
TRACK RECORD.
THERE’S 100% COMPLETION RATE AND
100% EMPLOYMENT.
I DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER PLACE IN
THE COUNTRY THAT CAN MAKE THAT
CLAIM.
>> I GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM
ON A FRIDAY, AND I STARTED A
MONDAY ON MONDAY.
>> Reporter: THE NOT FOR PROFIT
PROGRAM WAS STARTED BY SAMANTHA
SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
400 WOMEN HAVE GRADUATED AND
LANDED JOBS IN THE INDUSTRY.
>> IT IS AMAZING TO WATCH
PEOPLE, IN SHORT OF A YEAR,
TRANSFORM THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.
>> Reporter: SAMANTHA EVEN
EARNED A SPOT ON "INSTYLE’S"
LIST OF THE 50 MOST BADASS
WOMEN, NEXT TO BETTY WHITE AND
HELEN MIRREN.
>> MOST PEOPLE TRYING WELDING
FOR THE FIRST TIME HAVE THE SAME
FEELING OF POWER.
TO TAKE TWO PIECES OF METAL AND
JOIN THEM IS A REALLY POWERFUL
FEELING.
IT IS HARD TO DESCRIBE.
>> Reporter: SOMETHING CURIOUS,
EVEN THOUGH AMERICA HAS LOST
MORE THAN 7 MILLION
MANUFACTURING JOBS SINCE THE
LATE 1960s, THE NEED FOR WELDERS
HAS GROWN.
WITH SALARIES SOMETIMES TOPPING
$100,000.
BUT THEY CAUTION, BEING A WOMAN
IN A MALE-DOMINATED WORLD IS NOT
ALWAYS EASY.
>> AND YOU ARE DEEMED FRESH MEAT
WHEN YOU GET THERE.
THERE’S NOT A LOT OF US.
YOU WILL GET THE CAT CALLING.
FOR ME, I FIND THAT SHUTTING IT
DOWN RIGHT AWAY REALLY MAKES A
DIFFERENCE.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> POLITELY, I’M GOING TO STOP
YOU RIGHT THERE.
I’LL GIVE YOU THIS DAY BECAUSE I
KNOW THIS IS NEW FOR YOU, BUT
THIS IS MY JOB.
I’M HERE FOR A REASON.
I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN.
>> BEFORE I LEAVE THE DOOR IN
THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK, I’M
USUALLY TRYING TO BE EXTREMELY
CAUTIOUS OF THE WAY THAT I’M
PRESENTING MYSELF.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS
BECOME A DISTRACTION MORE THAN
IT ALREADY SEEMS TO BE FOR A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
>> I’M A QUIET PERSON.
I DON’T LIKE TO STEP ON
ANYBODY’S TOES.
>> Reporter: WHEN A MAN OLD
ENOUGH TO BE HER FATHER MADE A
PASS --
>> I HAD TO STEP UP AND SAY,
HEY, DON’T DO THAT.
DON’T SAY THAT.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I STOOD
UP FOR MYSELF, AND I FELT BETTER
FOR IT AT THE END OF THE DAY.
>> Reporter: TO MY GIRLS IN THE
AUDIENCE WHO ARE LISTENING TO
YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM
ABOUT THE PROFESSION YOU’VE
CHOSE SNN.
>> DON’T WORRY ABOUT HOW PEOPLE
ARE PERCEIVING YOU.
DON’T LET THE JUDGMENT OR
QUESTIONING SHRINK YOU AND YOUR
DESIRE TO BE A PART OF IT.
>> IT’S OKAY TO WANT TO BE
SOMETHING THAT ISN’T THE NORM.
YOU KNOW, IT’S OKAY TO WANT TO
BE A WELDER.
IT’S OKAY TO BE IN A ROOM FULL
OF MEN AND KNOW WHAT YOU’RE
DOING.
>> SING IT.
WELL, AREN’T THEY JUST GREAT?
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
THE PROGRAM, GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
AS I MENTIONED, WOMEN WHO WELD
IS A NON-PROFIT.
THEY HAD TO CLOSE DURING THE
PANDEMIC, AND THEY SHOULD USE
HELP TO ROAR BACK.
>> THAT ADVICE WORKS FOR ALMOST