“Attending college classes as a high school student and speaking about my experiences in public — it’s scary, but my Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates experiences prepared me for it. Being a female in a male-dominated field could be intimidating, but with more young ladies as mentors and apprentices, it’s less scary. It’s now my reality and my goal.” said Cheyenne Holcomb in her opinion article published in the Lansing State Journal, Women can be the answer to the welding industry’s labor shortage.
Cheyenne is a Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates youth at Negaunee High School and attends Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College to study welding. Cheyenne is continuing what women during World War II began, embracing an industry typically dominated by men. According to Quality Mechanics in their article titled Celebrating American History; Women in Welding, “The history of women in welding started with the female labor revolution that took place during World War II. American women were needed to work for their country in a variety of positions for the first time because of male enlistment. Ladies moved from domestic jobs and entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers.”
Today, through Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates, Cheyenne has been exposed to opportunities she would not otherwise have access to. Her interest in welding was supported and encouraged by her JMG Specialist, Meagan Stanton, and her parents. When Cheyenne graduates, she will hold a welding certification from Northern Michigan University. We can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in welding and the path she is helping to create for the future of women in welding.
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