Meet The Young Woman Breaking Barriers In Welding Careers

Welding has long been considered as a "man's job." There are sparks flying everywhere, tough and rugged worksites, heavy gear to wear, and a hot and sweaty atmosphere. Not a place for a woman, right?

Well, not exactly. Yes, it is still male dominated but more and more women are going in the welding and one of those women is Mikala Sposito from Dexter, Michigan.

Mikala is 21, and has now become the first female to do something which has been her goal all along.

ABC News.com reported this young woman from Dexter, Michigan, will be the first woman ever to represent the United States in welding at the WorldSkills Competition in China.

She is a student at Washtenaw Community College, and certainly didn't just walk into this. She worked hard and won the USA Weld Trials in Huntsville, Alabama, earlier this year to get where she is today.

The WorkdSkills Competition is really considered the Olympics of skilled trades. This competition determines the best in the world. Just like swimming, track and field, and all the other Summer Olympic sports, these competitions include all skilled trades, construction, information technology, manufacturing and robotics, and of course, welding. THE best of the best in the world.

👇 BELOW: TRADES THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO ALL MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! 👇

Washtenaw Community College has sort of become the top welding college in the U.S. They are located in Ann Arbor, and have graduated more WorldSkills welding alums than any other school in America.

Getting there for Sposito has been hard work. You don't just go to class, do a few welds and call it a day. For her there were 80 hours of practice every week together with her class schedule. But all her hard work and talent has paid off and will certainly open up many doors when she begins her career.

It's certainly exciting that she is the first woman to accomplish this. Mikala will be an inspiration for all women going into the trades.