Latinas Welding Guild molding futures students never imagined

Indianapolis, Indiana – A group seeking a new job is learning to weld while sparks fly everywhere. One of the only stores that welcomes almost everybody is the one they work at.

Jessica Rodriguez Hernandez, the deputy head of the Latinas Welding Guild, stated, “We want this to be a space where anyone can grow and learn and develop in their welding skills.”

Since its founding in 2017, the LWG has assisted a wide range of individuals in pursuing careers as welders.

“We cater to a very varied student body,” she remarked. “When we first started the organization, our main goal was to assist women in entering the trades, but as time went on, we realized that everyone needed access to these opportunities, so we opened them up to everyone.”

Hernandez claimed that welding is a hard trade to enter, and that applying to a more conventional trade school presents a number of challenges for some of their pupils.

Hernandez claimed that learning the craft of welding is costly and that the equipment, PPE, and other supplies are highly pricey.

Not to mention the challenges of obtaining that training.

Hernandez stated, “Many of our Latino, Hispanic, immigrant, and refugee families are not graduates of high school, or they are unable to enroll in a traditional community college due to language barriers.” “The guild does have multilingual instructors and multilingual programming.”

Over 300 welding students will have received certification from the LWG by the end of this year. Many will enter the workforce right away, while others will work toward more advanced certifications.

Among the students who received her certification this year is Stephanie Hernandez. In June, she entered the guild workshop for the first time.

“It was a chance, a new career ability,” Stephanie remarked. “I needed to learn something new because welding jobs are very lucrative.”

She now works as a teaching assistant for the LWG, supporting her teachers in the classroom each day. She added that it was something she never thought she would be doing.

“The Latinas who provided me with this chance to transform my life, to be employed, and to be able to instruct others in welding,” stated Stephanie.

Not only are the welders at the LGW educators, but they are also artists. Their largest work to date has garnered a lot of attention lately.

“Experiencing the Eiffel Tower was incredible,” Jessica remarked.

A replica of the Eiffel Tower, standing 66 feet tall and weighing twenty-four thousand pounds, was the focal point of nearly two weeks of events held in downtown around the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials. It was created by Jessica and numerous other members of the Latinas Welding Guild.

The project’s attention has elevated the guild to a new level.

Jessica remarked, “I don’t think they knew we could fabricate here.” “They viewed us as merely a welding school.”

More special project orders, including one for another replica of the Eiffel Tower, are already coming in for the guild.

“Anything from handrails to artwork that will be installed in various locations to more Eiffel Towers that will be erected across the US,” Jessica stated.

In addition, the guild is drawing in additional students and establishing connections with more local organizations.

Many individuals are unaware of the potential income that comes with working in this field, which is why more and more people are becoming enthusiastic about programming. In order to accommodate everyone, we’re actually selling out of programs and need to add more classes,” Jessica stated.

According to Jessica, this year’s growth has been exponential. Not only have orders and students increased, but their budget and earnings have also gone up. all aimed at giving those who never imagined they could weld additional opportunities in the future.

Since the majority of our students live at or below the poverty line, a large portion of the revenues are returned to the organization to provide scholarships, according to Jessica.

Their shared Hispanic ancestry is the foundation for the acceptance, safety, and friendly atmosphere that the LWG has established here.

Jessica stated, “In actuality, it’s the culture we bring into the place.” Therefore, we want Latino culture to be perceived as warm and inviting, and we want people to feel comfortable wherever they are.

They are able to dispel the notion that welding is inherently grimy or unclean thanks to this concentration in their workflow.

According to Jessica, “We wanted to bring that Latino and Hispanic culture into our space from a design perspective.” Once more, each of these hues is a strong representation of the nation from where we originally came from. Since we are all from different nations, even the colors used to decorate our offices differ.

Visit the website of the Latinas Welding Guild if you’re interested in learning from them, commissioning a piece from them, or even making a donation.