PHOENIX — While it’s common for a man to be working beneath a welding hood, a Valley school is helping a special group of women learn the tricks of the trade.
A 10-week structural welding course through The Refrigeration School is normally $7,500, but the nonprofit group Arouet is sponsoring the course for a group of currently and formerly incarcerated women.
What's taught during these courses allows these students to bring their new craft to the automotive, construction, or piping industry. An entry-level welder's salary can be around $20 an hour, and welding instructor Mario Jensen says if given an opportunity, these students will seize it.
The course has the goal of helping these women be career-ready upon graduation, re-engage with society, find a well-paying job, and live an independent life.
Everyone has a past, but these students are welding together a plan for their future bright enough to need a hood. Watch the full story from reporter Jordan Bontke in the video player above.
