CANTON, Ohio — Construction. Engineering. Welding. They’re all critical industries. They’re also all historically male-dominated careers. But some young women in Canton are stepping up to reshape the future.
Early exposure to nontraditional career pathways at school can empower female students, like 16-year-old high school junior Danielle Bower. She told News 5, “I’m hoping to make a living out of what I learn here.”
It’s the same for 17-year-old senior Shawnnessy McClain, who said learning construction helps her be independent.
Both students are part of the Canton City Schools’ GirlUp! Program. It starts in middle school, introduces female students to jobs they might not have imagined for themselves, and offers mentorship and support on their journeys.
We got to see a massive deck some of these young women have been building as part of their construction curriculum.
“It was cold, it was hot. We work in all kinds of weather,” McClain said. “I mainly worked on the flooring and the railings.”
The deck is at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium. Bower worked on the project, too, spending her time on the flooring and putting coverings on poles.
Across the hall from the Career Tech Center another pathway: Engineering. This is where 18-year-old Jaleah Nickson comes to hone her skills before she goes off to study Biomedical Engineering next year at college. She described GirlUp! As a stepping stone to her future career.
“I really want to work a lot with diabetes stuff. I want to work on machines to help people who may have leg problems or something,” she said. “It runs in my family, and I see a lot of my family struggle with it so I just want to help.”
Nickson said without this early exposure, she likely wouldn’t have taken the engineering path when she reached high school.
“We think a little different,” she said. “We have a lot to say, a lot to put in and I think it’s really worth it to have these programs for young girls to see that.”
Nickson’s engineering teacher said among his former female students who have gone through this program, two are currently studying Engineering at Ohio State University. Another is studying Data Science at Yale.
New this year, the school district is leveling up. It’s now partnered with Ohio Gratings for work-based learning. When we checked it out, she found 17-year-old Andrea Mitchell beneath a welding helmet. She told us she knew the traditional college track wasn’t for her. GirlUp! Showed her the value of a vocational education.
“It’s exciting, you get to go out and do what you want to do and you’re still making money for it and it’s just exciting,” she said.
The partnership also benefits the industry by building up the talent pipeline and creating a more successful transition into the workplace. Mike McKinney is an Associate Success Mentor at Ohio Gratings.
“When I first got here, I noticed that we for a lot of people at the top in age and we got a lot of these kids coming in at the bottom, but there’s a big gap there. So, these kids are important,” he said.
McKinney said Ohio Gratings has about 37 regional vocational high school students. Six are female. When it comes to the students from Canton, Ohio, Gratings said they teach and train them in welding, where pay starts at $16 per hour. When they’re released to production, they make $19 per hour. Many have been hired on after graduating.
Educators like Canton City Schools Director of Career & Technical Education and Education Tamiko Hatcher told us these innovative programs to improve access and remove barriers for all students can help solve challenges, not just unique to Canton.
“We’re really looking for opportunities where we can learn and grow our own to be contributing members in our own communities,” he said.
