PRESQUE ISLE and HOULTON, Maine — Hannah May is currently enrolled in the Structural Welding program at NMCC. It can be intimidating for a young lady to consider a career in a trade, but not impossible. Hannah is an example of a person who has considered and invested time and money in a trade that is based on her interests and abilities and not her gender.
Taking gender out of the equation when considering a career opens up a lot of opportunities for both men and women. Hannah has not limited herself to careers based on gender stereotypes.
She has a positive outlook on her career choice and is putting all her effort into welding.
May’s family moved from Arizona to the Houlton area when she was younger, and she remembers growing up as a typical young girl who participated in band and chorus at school with no idea she would eventually be training to become a welder.
Her pathway to the trades started at the Region Two School of Applied Technology in Houlton. During high school, she signed up to participate in the Culinary Arts course just to do something different. When she found the course was full, she decided at the last minute to try welding. She didn’t expect to like it, but was still interested in trying something new.
This was her first exposure to the welding trade, and her experience gave her an exposure that led to a love of the trade. She said her instructor, Richard Mitchell, was a great support to her and helped her learn some valuable new skills. Before she left Region Two, she completed her OSHA 30 certification a requirement for her current structural welding program.
May is in her second semester at NMCC and will graduate in May. She chose NMCC because it was close to home and affordable. According to O*NET Online, the median wage for welders in Maine is $48,250 per year and Maine is projected to open 190 welding positions through 2026 — numbers that are encouraging to a welding student who wants to work in Maine.
May said she enjoys her class and lab work and appreciates the hands-on practice along with significant one-on-one instruction with instructor Rick Taggett.
Though when she first started the class she was concerned how others perceived her ability to do the work because she is female, she soon proved her abilities. Now she feels confident and feels other students respect her for what she can do.
She believes her ability to be patient and her fine motor skills are assets to her welding career.
Although the Houlton area is close enough to commute, May chose to live on campus because of the atmosphere and independence. Instead of commuting two hours a day, she is a short walk to all of her classes. On weekends, she is only about an hour from her home if she chooses.
After graduation, May looks to apply for jobs with companies who specifically hire welders and possibly take part in the apprenticeship program through the WANTO grant administered by The Aroostook County Action Program. Her long-term dream is to have her own forge and incorporate blacksmithing, welding and art.
Though it can be intimidating to consider a nontraditional career, she encourages any student to consider it. She said a good place to start is a local tech center, such as Region Two in Houlton, the Presque Isle Regional Career and Technology Center, Caribou Regional Technology Center or the St. John Valley Tech Center in Frenchville.
She is grateful she took the first step toward a career in the trades. By the time Hannah started to invest her money in her postsecondary training, she was confident in her career choice and is having a successful college experience.
