The CWB Association Welding Podcast
The CWB Association Welding Podcast
Episode 212 with Jessica McCarthy and Max Ceron
The CWB Association brings you a weekly podcast that connects welding professionals around the world and unrepresented communities as we continue to strive for a more diverse workforce. Join us as we celebrate Women Empowerment Month to learn about the incredible contributions of Women in the welding industry and our communities.
After spending years behind a desk crunching numbers and raising three children as a young mother, Jessica found herself craving something that would engage her naturally active personality. Through an exploratory trades program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, she discovered welding – an art form that challenged her physically and mentally while providing the creative outlet she desperately needed. Jessica's story serves as a powerful inspiration for women contemplating a career in the trades or anyone feeling stuck in an unfulfilling job. Listen now to discover how sometimes the brightest futures are forged in the heat of transformation and sparks of courage. What risk might you take today to create your own happiness?
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All right, I can check. Check, I'm good. So I'm Max Duran. Max Duran, cwb Association Welding Podcast, pod pod podcast. Today we have a really cool guest welding podcast. The show is about to begin.
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Speaker 1:Hello and welcome to another edition of the CWB Association podcast. My name is Max Ceron and, as always, I'm looking for fantastic stories to bring to you, our loyal listeners here on the show. Today we have a double whammy of a good vibe happening Women Empowerment Month of March, which is always something we love to celebrate every year, as we are woefully under utilizing the females on this planet for welding and we want to correct that. So this is our way to support the women in the trades. And secondly, we have Jessica McCarthy, who's coming to us from here in Saskatchewan my backyard and she has. Something that's extra cool is that she is now transitioning into a new career. Which is also something that I always talk to people about is that it's never too late to decide if you want to change it up and do something different. So thank you, jessica, for coming today. How are you doing?
Speaker 2:I'm good and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Awesome, awesome. So let's start a little bit with where your roots are. I said you're in Saskatchewan, but where were you born? Where do you call home?
Speaker 2:Yorkton, Saskatchewan is hometown for me. That's what I call home, and I come from a family of six, I do have three children of my own. I'm 45 years old and my kids are all adults. They're 27, 22, 19, three grandbabies that are four, two and one month old. And I was an insurance guru for many, many years and now, coming from insurance to welding, I just wanted to say I traded in my heels for steel toes.
Speaker 1:Well, let's go back to that. You know, like you're in the insurance game, yeah, is that something you wanted to do right out of high school? Like, was it? Like you know, you're in high school, you're thinking, you know, I want to get into insurance. That's not something you hear a lot of people say.
Speaker 2:Well, my background before I got into into insurance, I was actually a stay-at-home mom for 12 years and I ran a home daycare and then I come from a family of insurance.
Speaker 2:my dad was involved in insurance, my mom was involved in insurance and so was my sister, so it kind of was like a career path that I followed in their footsteps. But you know what, after sitting at a desk for many, many years, um, I just realized it's just not for me and um, I just needed a transformation from a nine to five insurance job to a life of sparks, flames and some really cool welding gear.
Speaker 1:So you know you uh, you got your your stay-home mom. You're running a daycare. That's not for the faint of heart, you know, like you're up and running around and it's a busy job. Oh yes. That's a hands-on, busy job. Yeah. How did you feel about the transition going from that hands-on busy you know child care provider to accounting, you know? Was it something your family was like, hey, you should get into this, this is their, your natural progression. Or was it something that you're like I want to try that and see how it goes.
Speaker 2:Well, I wanted to try it because I see my parents were both very successful in the insurance industry. Um, they were both in management and just seeing them progress and with their careers and be successful I I knew I had in me to do it as well. So progressing from a daycare provider to the insurance industry was actually easy progression for me because after doing it for 12 years.
Speaker 1:My kids were already in high school and I knew that was time for me to you know school and I knew that was time for me to, you know, change careers and to start working outside the home and explore. I guess you know, explore your options and explore what's available to you, because you know I had kids young too and you spend a lot of time just focusing on kids and not so much on what you sort of feel like you're falling behind other people in other ways, right.
Speaker 2:Well, given you say that that is actually correct, because I was a young mom, at the age of 18, and I actually didn't start exploring myself as getting out there and being social until I was like 39 years old, probably because I was a stay-at-home mom, and then I went through a divorce and then I I had my kids full time with me, you know, and so my kids were my life. That was my journey, and now that my kids have all you know, two of them have completed post-secondary my third one's in a second university, second year university.
Speaker 2:So now it's actually my time to shine and time for myself, Cause before it was like working three jobs I had kids in sports, I had groceries, I had mortgage, I have bills, and I was just thinking about my kids and everything that my kids needed, but I actually wasn't really thinking about myself. So now that my kids are all moved out of the house, now it's my time to to think about myself and do what makes me happy. So, yeah, so I had navigated the corporate world for many, many years and after uh, you know, staring at spreadsheets, I realized I needed a change and I needed something that would get my heart racing and get my hands dirty.
Speaker 2:So this was something that that? Um was up my alley, and then I discovered welding. Um, how I discovered welding was I? Um took a eight-day program at um the saskatchewan polytechnic. I took eight, eight trades over eight different days, and welding was in that program like the, the exploratory program, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Then after that I I branched out into the woman of steel program and then that's when my love for welding really came in and I had a fantastic mentor, Um, and then I got enrolled in school and well, let's back up, let's back up, let's back up, yeah up, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know you, you're coming, you're at your current, at that time you're accounting, you're working, uh, you know, on spreadsheets you're looking at numbers, you're at a desk every day looking at the screen, which is what my welding career has turned into now.
Speaker 4:But you know I digress.
Speaker 1:but yeah, you know what made you start to think, even enter your mind hey, I want to take an exploratory one week, you know, at South Poly, where you learn construction, automotive, you get to carpentry, you get to try everything machining, welding, Yep, why? Why do that at all? You know what I mean. What made you think I'm going to go see what these things are about?
Speaker 2:Going to a trade. Well, well, I'm a very active person outside of my house, like I'm into fitness, the gym, I'm into yoga, you know, play a couple sports here and there. So sitting at a desk was just not for me. I you know you get agitated, you it's. Sometimes it could just be depressing because you're sitting at one spot, you're not moving and you're staring at a computer screen for eight hours a day. And that's not me. I'm very active and I have a lot of energy and I come from a trades family as well. So it was just something. See my dad do trades or my brothers do trades, and they're just hands on. And it was just of my interest. You know what? Just take a risk, life's all about taking risks and age of 45, I'm like you know what I'm going to take a risk and try a trade. So that's when I did the eight different trades and I branched out into the one that I fell in love with and you said you had some family in trades, because that's often.
Speaker 1:That's often where the bottleneck is is that if you don't see the trades in your family or around you, you really don't have any context for getting involved. So there was some trades work around you, happening in your family, so you were at least aware that these things existed, right yeah, my dad has his own uh company, which he's semi-retired from, and my brother has his own electric company.
Speaker 2:So, uh, so it's in my family genes and it's something I grew up with. I grew up in it. My my dad is very intelligent, so he would, we would buy a house and literally our livelihood of growing up was my dad getting every house that we moved into, and as soon as that house was all put back together, we move on to the next one.
Speaker 2:So I grew up in it and it was just seeing how intelligent my dad is using his hands and and how to figure things out, it just became of an interest to me. And then my brother is an electrician, so seeing that as well. So I just wanted to explore something else that's not in my family and I thought welding would be pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Now wanted to explore something else that's not in my family, and I thought welding would be pretty cool. Now when you had those uh, eight trades laid out in front of you and you got to try them out. What was like your top three? Right, because there had to have been a bit of choice there, right?
Speaker 2:I wanted to actually my before I was considering welding, I was considering going into plumbing and then welding was actually probably my third choice, and then I was going to consider going into a machinist. But being a machinist that's a lot of numbers.
Speaker 1:And it's a lot of staring at screens. That's a lot. That's a lot.
Speaker 2:So, just exploring that, I was just like, well, you know what I really still want to get into plumbing so I can actually go from welding into pipe fitting, so that kind of works.
Speaker 1:They all line up yeah.
Speaker 2:They all interact with each other and it's funny because I took that, that the electrical course and program, and I'm still getting my brother to come change my light bulb.
Speaker 1:Well that's for different reasons. That's not for lack of knowledge. There's times to take advantage of other people's trades right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I got a couple of kitchen chairs out back. I got a weld for the neighbor that I've been holding off on.
Speaker 2:There, you go.
Speaker 1:So then you decide after the eight day course. Like you know what I think I want to dive a little bit deeper into welding. Yep. How did you find the women of steel course Cause? You know through the foundation. How did you find it and then tell us about that process?
Speaker 2:Okay. So since I was already connected with that eight trades um, I got an email saying that so you could apply for this uh, women's a steel program, and they were only taking 20 women into it and, the best part about it, there was a zero dollar fee. So I was like do you know what? Give it a shot. You know it's for 10 days, you don't like it, you don't like it, but maybe you will like it. So then I took it and the instructor there, travis just an amazing guy. You'd probably know him from SAS Polytechnic. He was the instructor there, very thorough. It was actually quite tough at first because you don't know how to hold your gun, you don't know where to look, you know all that kind of stuff, so it was really frustrating. And a mentor by the name of Vanessa Woods. You probably know her. She's with the Apprenticeship of Women. Yep.
Speaker 2:She is such an amazing human. She's actually a huge reason why I got into the welding and she's actually been such a huge support to me even up until this day. So when I was doing that Women of Steel program, she was beside me the whole time, giving me direction on how to hold your stinger, on where to look and everything like that. So with her support, I just continued on with her and she's just still a mentor to this day.
Speaker 1:I was just hanging out with her on Saturday night.
Speaker 2:So was she at Birmingham's, at the CWB.
Speaker 1:That's right, we were hosting it, we were there.
Speaker 2:So that's just down the street from my house.
Speaker 1:Why weren't you there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was working, but Vanessa is. She's such a I just I just don't even know the words I can say about her. She's such an amazing woman.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know from what I understand, there's a few connections there. So you know you. You meet Vanessa, the Women of Advance, the apprenticeship. They do an amazing job. Plus, you're tied in with the foundation, the Women of Steel program. They are, you know, big supporters of programming and funding for women in the trades. The exploratory programs from Sask Poly, that's through the WIC program. You've got Allison Zerr running those out of Saskatoon. All these amazing people and they're all welders. Vanessa's a welder, allison's a welder fabricator. And then, of course, you know the foundation. That's all we do. It's canadian welding bureau's welding stuff. You're lining these up pretty good and that's the way to do it. That's the smart way to do it, especially when you're unsure. You know along this. Was there any hiccups?
Speaker 2:I know, I just wanted to make a note. Vanessa calls me her bulldog you can ask her. She calls me.
Speaker 2:Jessica's my bulldog. I will not give up, like I and I have a lot of energy, so back it up. So you asked if there was any hiccups. Well, I said no, but actually, now that I think about it, there was a hiccup the hiccup is the financial part about going to school right. I'm 45, I have an insurance career, I'm I have a mortgage, I have bills, I have a vehicle. You know, I have all these things that I still am financially responsible for.
Speaker 2:But do I want that other debt. Oh my gosh, it gets better. Um with vanessa. She has a lot of connections yeah like the ccrw I am connected with ccrw and they have sponsored me out through this whole program and, uh, carrie is very dear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's amazing just like vanessa.
Speaker 2:Um, when I got the phone call from her that she approved my sponsorship, I I didn't think that, promised myself I wouldn't cry. I cry all the time. You know what.
Speaker 1:I've given so much to people and finally I had a chance for somebody to give back to me and with Carrie's support, I don't think I would actually be where I am today. Well, you know, I work with Carrie and and the across canada and, uh, the the work that they do, her and, and I think jason is her partner. They're the her colleague. They do such amazing, wonderful things. I've known vanessa since she was like 18, you know she, she's always been vanessa, and then, uh, allison used to be a chapter chair for me in satoon and that's why I was saying I want to hit those points with you, to be I'm proud to know that there's all these people out there that are working to make dreams like yours feasible, because otherwise, how would you do it?
Speaker 2:I wouldn't and that's true and, like I had mentioned, I wouldn't be where I wasn't without meeting Vanessa. Without her introducing me to Carrie, I wouldn't be where I am right now. Like, the support that I get from those two women is impeccable and I love them to pieces and they just needed a round of applause for what they do. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Especially like women like myself, like I financially couldn't afford to go to school. Well, jessica, let's make this happen. Let me help you. You're gonna help me. Oh my god, like I said, when I got that phone call I was crying because there's good people out there you just gotta find them well, and you know the.
Speaker 1:That's what these uh not-for-profits are for. We help people connect, right. That that's the whole point of being in a not-for-profit is. It's not. It's not necessarily you doing it for anybody, you're just helping people connect to the right people that's correct.
Speaker 2:And uh, they're, they're my world like right now. And uh, ccrw, they're just amazing humans like they sponsored me with tuition, they sponsored me with my ppp, they sponsored me with my new laptop and the sponsorship just keeps going on and on, but it's just not the material things that ccrw given me, they given me confidence they also have mentorship programs and stuff like that, right like yeah they given me.
Speaker 2:They given me a lot of confidence and to believe in myself. So, like I said, it's not the material things, it's what's come along with it and for the listeners that are following along and are like what's ccrw?
Speaker 1:I have interviewed carrie. We have a podcast, so please check it out. But the canadian center for rehabilitation of workers, uh, is a wonderful not-for-profit that's national across canada. They did have a fairly good funding envelope for apprentices, um, hopefully they get it renewed this year. I know that all the not-for-profits right now across canada are crossing fingers because, you know, election time, change in government time, things are very iffy. What's going on with the US makes things iffy, but hopefully everyone gets the funding they need to, because this is the proof in the pudding. This is why we need these organizations, because we can complain that we need all the welders in the world on one hand, but if we're not doing things to support people getting into the industry, we're shooting ourselves in the foot right.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, getting into the industry. We're shooting ourselves in the foot right. Yep, yeah, so, yeah with. So with the with, with the apprenticeship for women from vanessa and then from ccrw with carrie like they. They're just making my world happen right now so then I sorry, go ahead and I know a lot of it has. It comes from me for me, me doing all the work, um but it.
Speaker 1:The root is it's it started with them yeah, so so now you know you, you get through the women of steel. How did those 10 days go? Like you said, they were pretty intense.
Speaker 2:They were pretty good. I, I, I didn't know we built like a box with, yeah, I think we just built like a metal box. I said I didn't know a clue on how to weld, like it was hard. It was hard, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done and I'm thinking, is this the career path I want to do? And I'm like, yeah, do you know what Hard work is going to get you somewhere in life? So you know what? I chose the hardest trade that I physically and mentally couldn't do, and now I'm actually getting confident in my skill level. I want to make a note Now that you mentioned that Women of Steel program. I've actually asked to be a mentor in the past Women of Steel program as well, asked to be a mentor in the past woman of steel program as well. So I, I mentored them, uh, with the wit program at saskatchewan polytech regiona campus as well.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome that's another accomplishment, that's, you know, that's on my way as well, and uh, so one of the things one of the things you're doing right.
Speaker 1:That I literally just told all the students on Saturday at the Birmingham's event. And I say it all the time the contacts you make, the network that you create for yourself in this industry, is there forever is there forever.
Speaker 1:There's people that have mentored me 40 years ago, 35 years ago, and we still renegade, we still talk, we still check in. If I ask them to come out and speak to students, they will. You know, because no one climbs this industry alone. It's a tough industry and there's a lot to learn. You need mentors, you need people around you, because number one the industry doesn't stand still. So everything you're learning today by next week's already going to be old. So you got to stay on top of it, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because it's fast. When you're learning in school, it's bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. And um, I could, I could tell you, at the beginning of my welding program, I didn't have any confidence in myself. And then, uh, today, like my instructor, I have a, an amazing instructor. Uh, robert, you probably know him as well. Um, you know, and when you have an instructor like him that actually believes in you, it's heartbreaking, like I, you know, you just love the support you want to come through for him you want to come through and and.
Speaker 2:Uh, he's actually a huge support at the school and I really appreciate him yeah, he's a nice guy yeah, he is now.
Speaker 1:Now for you, let's let's bring in the other angle. You're 45 years old. Yes, right, there's another angle. They're not. You know like I mean, it's great to have more women in the industry hallelujah, let's do it. But on the other side of it, 45 years old, there's a lot of women out there, a lot and I'm talking a large percentage of women out there that are getting into their 30s. They, they had kids, they haven't built a career, they haven't gotten something under the belt that is not only just a job, but also financially secure job. Not a job where you're working part time making 26 grand a year, but the job that makes you 80 grand a year, with pension and benefits for the kids you can be on. You. You know like you got to do those things. Now, how do you? How do you transition? Like? There's a lot of fear there, right?
Speaker 2:do you know what? It's all about risk, and I feel life is all about risk. If you're not going to take a risk in life, then you're still going to sit at your desk and you're just going to be a miserable human like I was you know what I?
Speaker 2:mean it's's just like I. I took a risk, yeah, at the age of 45. I quit my career. I was making good money, I had a good pension, I had all the holidays. You know what I mean. I had all the benefits. But if you're not happy with what you're doing for a living, move on and be happy. It's no different than being in a miserable relationship. Move on. So that's like being in a miserable job. Move on with your life.
Speaker 2:So I took a risk and that's when I had to explore myself with the women's trades to say what direction do I want to go with my life, where do I want to go and how do I want to do it, and how am I going to be supported when I do it?
Speaker 1:Well, it's interesting. You bring up the concept of of it being like a marriage, and I say that to kids all the time. You know you see your work mates more than you see your housemates, because you're you're at work eight to 10 hours a day. You're only at home for four to five and the rest of it's sleeping. You better learn to either like your job or get along with your job, because that's where you're going to be for the most of the time that you're doing it. So it's a great point. You don't want to be somewhere where you don't feel happy or appreciated, or if you feel upset or bullied or angry or you don't know, you can't do it. You got. Life is too short to waste those years.
Speaker 2:You know that's true and, with that being said, with the welding industry it can take you different places. So I haven't had any opportunity because I was, you know, when I was divorced. My kids live with me 100% of the time, so I was still responsible because I still had them at home, because they were still still needed under my care. So, like I mentioned now that they moved out with the welding and we had a career fair at school, but I knew this even before looking at the career fair. There's so much traveling you can do with welding and I just feel this is my time to shine.
Speaker 2:I've never had time for myself to shine, so you know what? I'm only 45 young. I'm still young.
Speaker 1:No, yeah, I.
Speaker 1:want to travel with this welding, whether it's going on a pipeline or a rig or getting into an industry that will take you to florida or the bahamas, like you know there's so much opportunity for welding than just actually just sitting in the welding shop when you find the right job that fits for you well, absolutely, that's probably the stories that kids love hearing the most from me is you know, I've been to Russia, I've been to Africa, I've been South America, I've been all over the U? S and Canada and it's like, oh yeah, you get all this time to travel Cause you're, you know, I'm not on holidays, I'm working, but it's fun. I'm traveling and making money Like what? What's the? That's the best deal possible, right?
Speaker 2:Like it, it's like the best job, right, and I have a lot of energy, so I'm not like, like. I said I'm not one to actually just sit in one spot I know, with welding, you're always on the go, you're always learning something and I always need to keep my my imagination going on. What can I do? What can I build? How can I do it this way? On what can I do? What can I build? How can I do it this way? So it's always something different. Everything is different.
Speaker 1:Let's take our break right now for our sponsors and advertisers, and when we get back I'd love to talk about you know the program you're enrolled in, what's it look like and what's going on with there. So if you're cool with that, let's take a break now. You bet All right? So all the people following along, make sure you stay here with me. With Jessica McCarthy, we'll be right back after these messages from our advertisers.
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Speaker 1:Hello, and we are back here on the cwb association podcast. Thanks for staying around with us. Me and jessica here are having a wonderful conversation about, well, a number of things. One, women in the trades during this Women in Power Month. Number two, retraining in a new trade you know, later in life as a second, third, fifth, nth career, whatever it is. And number three, the point we're going to get to now. It's what it's like to be an adult, getting back into the education system.
Speaker 1:You know, because it you're out of school a long time and there's pluses and minuses to that um, and when you go back to school as a, as an older person which I did as well you you definitely notice where it's different and also where it's better, you know. So for yourself, you know. Going back and you're enrolling now at SAS Paul, you're taking the real course, you know for well. You're in the full apprenticeship course right. So you got a full year of school ahead of you right Now. How's that been?
Speaker 2:now, how's that been okay? So, after 28 years of not being in school, oh my god, it's such a struggle. It was a struggle um in september my instructor robert told me he was a little bit concerned, so my first two exams were I failed. Failed them my first two written exams. I'm like I didn't know how to, not to say literally, like how do you read? How do you? Study.
Speaker 2:How do you study? How do you get all this information in your head? How do you? What are the tools that you need? I didn't know how I was a walking stress bomb for the first few weeks I'm like I don't, I don't even know what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Well, and you see, 18 year olds who just came out of high school and for them school's easy. Well, I'm not saying the program is easy, but they just came out of a learning institution, so it's still in their system, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I remember walking into the first like welding class and feeling like, oh, I'm a total rock star in my brand new welding gear because I had pretty cool stuff. A little did. I know it was a crash course in humility, like in my instructor.
Speaker 2:Well, robert at the time, a seasoned welder, he has a wicked sense of humor and he showed me the ropes and, uh, you know he was really good. Um, I feel like welding. I learned quickly that welding can be like a full contact sport, especially when you're still figuring out how you hold a torch, um, without even like setting your hair on fire or burning yourself. And um, often my instructor would say are you trying to weld yourself to the table? Like you know, I did weld a few things to the table and he remembered that. He reminded me of that the other day because I did it again.
Speaker 2:Learning at the age of 45 is a total different world. My children who were just out of high school and to university, like they could be the ones that didn't even have to crack a book and they're still getting high 90s. Me, I spend nine, 12 hours like just studying and reading and trying to get it. But you know what I actually had to Google? How do you study, how do you read? How do you absorb all this information? I had to Google all these tips and what worked for me. And I see a tutor every day after school for 45 minutes I like to. I'm very proud of myself. My GPA is at 88%. I've come a long way.
Speaker 2:After failing those two exams. I had a. I really admire another instructor. His name is Brent. You know I'm like well, brent had noticed I was struggling as well and he pulled me to the side. And Brent, brent's funny he always says come with me, come outside. And he always says all I want you to do is scream as loud as you can get it out. You know, and uh, I didn't scream, he did.
Speaker 2:I think he just likes to scream, but he, he talked to me and he, he calmed me down and, uh, it's just his words of encouragement. And ever since I had that talk with him back in september, when he knew I was struggling and he wasn't even my instructor, he actually came up to me because he could see it.
Speaker 2:It actually, his words, actually totally changed my world around and I learned how to, to study, I learned how to read and and all the things that I needed to, and my exams were in their high 80s and low 90s and I couldn't be even more proud of myself, because school is my life right now um. I literally I go to school, I go to my tutor, I come home and I study. So that's kind of like what my life is at the age of 45.
Speaker 1:But you know, what.
Speaker 2:This is something I want that's right this is something I want and I want to be proud of it, and if it's something that I really want, I'm going to work for it. So that's. I just work really hard on how to learn new techniques and studying skills, and I struggle with math. Math is. I have a math exam coming up on the 13th, but I struggle with math.
Speaker 2:But the amazing tutors that I have found in the school from learning services are so amazing. I work with a tutor every day and without tutoring help again, I wouldn't be who I am. And that's where you're saying the connections are huge. People get to know you, they get to know your energy, but even with these connections and you, uh, these connections would be references for you going forward as well, because they've gotten to know you for the last eight, ten months, right? So that's what I always think is, if you get a good connection, they're always going to be a good reference for you and they, they know to see your hard work going forward you know there's a.
Speaker 1:There's a couple things that you bring up that are so interesting about welding. Number one a lot of people that go into a welding program have no idea how hard it's going to be. They think they're going to go in and just weld all day. No, there's theory, there's math, there's communications. There's this is this is a certificate program, there a diploma. You got to go to school and there's a reason welders get paid what they get paid, because you're expected to know quite a bit of stuff. It's not like you just roll out there being like I'm a welder. No, there's a process Like it takes a while.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, there's Word and Excel, yeah.
Speaker 4:So Word and.
Speaker 2:Excel, math, communications, print everything. Drafting, drafting in print that was a hard subject. I really struggled with that one as well. Trying to. You know, you had to first your hand drawing shapes and then you're you're learning all the the weld symbols and then you actually had to go on to an app and actually do it digitally 3d. I struggled with that and, um, I'm a crier. I cry a lot.
Speaker 1:You're sensitive. I cry a lot.
Speaker 2:And I cry if I'm happy, I cry if I'm sad, I cry if I'm sick. I cry a lot, and my one instructor Brent. He always says put your helmet down when you cry. So yeah, I just yeah, I'm a crier. But you know what, sometimes getting that out, it actually makes you feel good.
Speaker 1:Oh for sure it's better out than in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Now the other part about welding that people often don't think about is that you know, aside from you know, you said like you got all these classes that you got to take there's also the aspect of that you're going to be in school for like a year and you're going to learn all this stuff, and that basically lets you start your journey like you're just prepping to start, because no one remembers everything the first year, like by the time you're in the industry, 20 years.
Speaker 1:You know every rod, every number, every designation, all those things. This is that and that'll do this, but that takes decades right for you guys to just start aside from all these other classes, even just learning all the rods low hydrogen cellulose, you know there's a lot of even just specific welding stuff that you're like what the heck? I thought it was just welding there's a lot to know.
Speaker 2:Uh and uh, the rods, but it's even the positioning of holding your rod, the angles you hold your rod. I felt with welding. Uh, when I first started I was a mess, and robert can contend to that I was a mess. I I didn't have a clue. How do you hold your stinger? How do you hold your angle? Where do you look?
Speaker 2:I don't know, but you know what eventually like coming today, the confidence that I have from the beginning of september to the confidence that I have now, because the instructors at the instructors are so caring, they're so universal too. I feel that sometimes if one instructor can give the demonstration on how to do a weld, but sometimes you can talk to another instructor and they will show you a different way of doing it because everybody has a different technique. That's right.
Speaker 2:Once you get your technique down, then you're golden and like when I was doing my 3G GMA vertical. I struggled, I struggled and I cried and I cried and I cried. But do you know what? After my struggles, my instructor, he's like you were number two in your class for that weld. I was like on top of the world. I'm like, are you? Serious.
Speaker 2:So do you know what? And I'm the type of person I don't give up. I will work hard, hard and hard until I get it and learning a skill at my age it's hard. It is Learning a new skill. I'm not, like you know, like a 19 or 20 year old. I can just jump into it and they're just, they can just do it. I need time and patience for myself to do it, but in in the end I actually I will learn it and I actually do quite well.
Speaker 1:So I'm pretty proud of myself where I've come you know, for for women entering the industry that are moms, there's a couple, couple of things like number one you're a mom, you're already the master of the universe and you've created a life. No challenge should be scary to you. You know, if you, if you want to get into welding, if you can raise kids, trust me, you can. You can weld.
Speaker 1:But number two, one of the difficulties on the flip side of that coin is that you get used to being the boss as a mom you're. You know, you make the rules, you make the schedules, you make the lunches, you pick up the clothes, and then you start a career at 45 and you're back on the bottom of the pile. And it's not you making the decisions, no more, it's someone else saying you know, be quiet, listen. And that can be a little bit hard sometimes when you have older students come back. The hardest thing to get past is their stubbornness, whereas a 19 year old kid is not stubborn yet, because they don't know anything well, mine are my listening skills and again, instructor robert will contend to that.
Speaker 2:my listening are there and sometimes he said to me today, when I talk to you, sometimes like it just goes over your head, doesn't it? But you know what that's right. So you're multitasking in your head because you have other things that you're thinking about in your head, but you're still listening. You're still listening. However, you're thinking about other things at the same time. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like my dad always said, multi multitask is multi-fail. So there you go so anyway.
Speaker 2:So that's what I find the older you get yeah, your listening skills is because you are stubborn and I am stubborn and I admit that yeah now, how's the class going so far?
Speaker 1:you're, no, you're four or five months into it now.
Speaker 2:We're done. May 16th.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, that's fast.
Speaker 2:Yeah so.
Speaker 1:So what's going on now? What are you learning this week?
Speaker 2:This week we just started. We just finished the 3G vertical GMAW weld. Now we just started a new one today. I forget what that one's called. It's actually a I forget what that one is called, but we just started it actually this afternoon and we're going to be bending that one as well okay, cool brand new.
Speaker 1:Now, you caught me off guard, yeah now I have to go back to school, look have you guys started uh getting ready for any cwb tests?
Speaker 2:this is the one that we're doing right now is a cwb test. It's okay, the probably a stick or make flat 1gf yes, I think that's what it's called yes uh, we're using copper wire for that one right now and then we're going to go flux, and then we're going to switch to flux to do the next one good, yeah, those are good tickets to have getting in the industry.
Speaker 1:Um, you know it's creeping up on you now, like you said, may, that's only a couple months away. Now, where do you want to work? You know? Because you're gonna have to start thinking okay, I'm going to go to school, I'm going to get my certificate, I got to get a job.
Speaker 2:Well, I got a job already.
Speaker 1:Oh, where's your job? What?
Speaker 2:have you got figured out? Meridian Industries hired me right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, awesome, good, good.
Speaker 2:But I'm also keeping my options. I met so many amazing humans at the job fair. I started applying for jobs in December. I applied for about 12 of them, and then Meridian got back to me and they hired me, so I'm very happy and grateful for that. However, at the job fair, I met, like I said, so many amazing humans with their jobs as well, and so I'm just going to keep on slugging away and applying for uh, uh jobs as well. Uh, because I want to get a job like I mentioned, a job that will, that I could travel with, and there were some jobs there that are traveling jobs right um, like, even like, even getting onto the pipeline you're all you know, um, I'm a go-getter, so I I I'm not scared to try anything or take a risk.
Speaker 2:So if there's a job on a pipeline or if there's a job that you know in alberta there were some people there from edmonton and calgary- that were advertising for their businesses as well. I don't have any buddy at home, so I'm actually at my age, at 45, I'm free to actually move wherever I want. So I don't have anything holding me back, so I don't know where I'm going to be in the spring we have another job fair coming up at South Pauley in April.
Speaker 1:It's called careers and welding. It's a welding specific job fair that we do every up at South Pauley in April. It's called Careers in Welding. It's a welding-specific job fair that we do every year at South Pauley. So there'll probably be some more connections there. And hey, join your local association. There was a lot of industries looking for welders on Saturday. You got to make sure you're a part of our association and come to our events, because networking is the key to getting what you want in this industry. You got to meet the people that you can work for and establish those relationships, and that goes a mile and that's exactly your word is correct relationships.
Speaker 2:That's how you get ahead in the world, is developing relationship with people and that's where your connections start.
Speaker 1:That's right yeah, that's where your connections start.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, that's true. It's all about relationship building.
Speaker 1:Where do you see yourself? Big picture, you know, like I'd imagine, at some point you're going to want to get your red seal, because that's where you start to get the real mobility and big bucks. Without your red seal, it's hard to travel outside the country. Once you get that red seal, you can travel anywhere in the world. Have you thought about being an entrepreneur, combining your accounting experience with welding? Are you maybe business ownership or anything like that? Or are you not looking that far ahead? You're just trying to keep it down to like what's next?
Speaker 2:Well, I don't know if I would be an entrepreneur.
Speaker 1:I would rather go to work and then just come home and not have that and get paid, right?
Speaker 2:uh, I mean, I guess maybe that's what I'm just used to in my life, right, because I've always been a t4 person my whole life. You know, um, don't get me wrong, a few of my friends are an amazing entrepreneurs and I see what they do for themselves and and how much money they make, right, don't get me wrong. Like they are amazing humans, but I don't know, I'm not going to say it's not going to hold me back, but it's something that I haven't thought about before. Like I know, a lot of welders will get a rig, get their truck and get a rig.
Speaker 1:Less than you think. They all talk about it. I bet you half have to even do it, because it's a lot of work to run your own business.
Speaker 2:Yeah I don't want to talk the talk and not have it come forward for me so my goal is to go and get my journeyman, my red seal, in the next couple years, because I get 1500 hours with this program at school and then I'm going to see once. I get that. I get that, I want, I do, I want to travel yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, there's work everywhere. I see it right now Like you're looking especially. You look at the coasts like C-SPAN, a buddy of mine from here in Regina. He just got a job interview out there. Out West you got Irving, out East you got Ontario shipyards. In Ontario the ship building is a big thing. The thing's a big thing. The mines are always hiring. I worked at lots of different mines in canada.
Speaker 1:That's always hard but very well paying, satisfying work. Um and for as hard as they are, the shutdowns are only two to three weeks, so it's not like it's hard forever. You just got to get through two to three weeks, but in two to three weeks you make more money. It'll last you the whole summer. You know what I mean like. So it's really just about you know what you want, because that's what I tell people all the time. It's not just about you know what you want, cause that's what I tell people all the time. It's not about, like, what you find and what do you want. Like, what direction do you want to point your bow at and shoot, shoot their goal Right.
Speaker 2:What I want is I want to be successful and I want to have confidence in the skills that I can bring forward to any industry and and bring my energy to that company. Yeah and uh, I want to learn and, uh, I want to grow within a company as well, whether if that's starting from the bottom and then moving to a supervisor and maybe into management down the road. But you don't know where my journey is going to take me.
Speaker 2:But you know yeah, so uh, I, I'm just excited to see what the next five years is going to take me. You know, yeah, so uh, I, I'm just excited to see what the next five years is going to bring me awesome.
Speaker 1:What do your kids think about your adventure?
Speaker 2:they're excited, they're like mom.
Speaker 1:What are you doing now? What the heck?
Speaker 2:they're like what you're going into welding? Really? I'm like, yeah, my daughter would send me sometimes some of those TikTok things and woman welding and then it starts on fire. She goes this is so you. So do you know what? Yeah, I was just like. I'm going back to school, I'm quitting my career, pretty much quitting my life, and I'm going to go into something that makes me happy. So my kids are very supportive as well. But it was kind of a shock going from a desk job to welder.
Speaker 1:They're like really I'm like yeah. It happens more than you think. I was a good friend of mine down in California, alice, and she was a lawyer and people are like you left law to become a welder. She's like I don't regret anything. She's like I don't regret anything. She's like I make about the same amount of money and I'm happy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like what's the happy, yeah, exactly. Yeah, and I don't regret taking a risk either Right now. It's a financial risk because I'm not really working Right. I'm just working casually, but you know what, in the end it's going to pay off.
Speaker 1:Dang right, it will yeah.
Speaker 2:It's going to pay off. So that's kind of what I'm excited about to see.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, we're getting close to the end of the interview. I want to wrap it up with a couple questions to kind of put a bow on this. First of all, you know, as a woman in the trades coming in now, what would you say or give as a piece of advice to another female of any age that's looking at the trades, or maybe is not looking at the trades but feels a little lost and they're not sure where they want to go or what they want to do with their lives. What would you say to them to try to promote them getting into this line of work?
Speaker 2:I would just tell them um, there's a few things. Uh practice patience. Welding takes time, effort and a whole lot of patience. Don't expect to create a masterpiece on your first try. Trust me, it won't happen. I've been there Um. Invest in good gear. Don't skimp on the essentials like good welding helmet, gloves and safety glasses. Your eyes will and skin will thank you, and you know what is very helpful. I watched YouTube tutorials.
Speaker 2:There's a wealth of knowledge on YouTube for beginner friendly tutorials and advanced techniques, and just be sure to take notes and pay attention and the payoff when it clicks like myself, it clicks so fast forward a few months. Um, and I'm proud to say that I have significantly improved. My welds are cleaner and my technique is more confident, and I've started creating some pretty good good beads. And um, final thoughts like if you're thinking of taking the plunge and learning how to weld, be prepared to make mistakes, because you're going to make a lot of them, and don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. I do it a thousand times a day and all you have to do is keep practicing and, most importantly, have fun. That's what I have to say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what about if we switch the lens a little bit on that and we say, okay, you know, jessicaica, that's great advice. But what about if it's one of your? You know someone who's in their 40s and 50s now and they're looking to start a new career? Is there anything different, you would say, or is it the same advice?
Speaker 2:it's the same advice. You know what? Don't be afraid to take a risk. That that's all I could say. If you're not happy, take that risk and be happy. You deserve to be happy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, life is all about risk and you just have to take a risk, and that's what I did, and I took a risk and I'm actually very happy with what I've done. It wasn't even hard Because, like I said, if you're unhappy in a relationship or if you're unhappy in the job, it's the same thing. Take a risk and do something that makes you happy.
Speaker 1:That's amazing, and that's all I did yeah. Well, I'm very excited for you to come to you for your your graduation, to come up here in May. That's going to be super exciting. I will very much likely see you because I stop in at SAS Poly pretty often. I'm friends with all the instructors I taught there for eight years and also skills is coming up, so we're going to be doing lots of stuff with skills, and I'm involved with skills a lot too.
Speaker 1:So I'll be coming in and I think I'm going to be hanging out on the 28th of May lot too. So I'll be coming in and I think I'm gonna be uh, hanging out on the 28th of may. I believe is when you're doing your skills or competition or something like that. I just got an email from derek about it so is that the one in regina?
Speaker 1:because the one in regina first in saskatoon I think there's one in march too, like a prelim, one too, like for in internal competition. So, uh, I met a few of the, the kids that are going for skills at Birmingham's. You got some pretty cocky kids out there, so we'll see how they do.
Speaker 2:I think there's four of them. Yeah, there's four of them that are going.
Speaker 1:So that's awesome. But, jessica, any last minute, shout out to anybody you'd like to say hi to before we send off.
Speaker 2:I like to say hi to everybody who has been an encouragement for me within this industry. So I'm gonna say hey carrie, hey vanessa, and then all of my fabulous instructors. That goes from robert to brent to ken, to travis to derek. Uh, you guys are all amazing and keep up the good work and I love all of you, and if it wasn't for you guys, I don't know where I'd be with my confidence going forward. So thank you very much for all your support that you guys have given me.
Speaker 1:Well, awesome, and I might be a little bit biased, but South Pauley, regina, is the best college in Canada. Just saying but thank you, Jessica, for taking the time today to be on the podcast this has been enlightening and it's been wonderful. Thank you very much.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I appreciate you.
Speaker 1:Awesome and for everyone in the following make sure that you check out all the March episodes. We're going to be featuring wonderful women across Canada talking about their journeys and to try to really solidify this idea, this form that we have to get more women in the industries and find ways to support them and make the workplaces safe, great places for everyone that wants to be a welder. So make sure you check out all the episodes, download, share and comment. Thank you so much. I'll catch you at the next one.
Speaker 2:Happy welding. We hope you enjoy the show.
Speaker 4:You've been listening to the CWB Association Welding Podcast with Max Zerlin. If you enjoyed what you heard today, rate our podcast and visit us at cwbassociationorg to learn more. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions on what you'd like to learn about in the future. Produced by the CWB Group and presented by Max Serron, this podcast serves to educate and connect the welding community. Please subscribe and thank you for listening.